Posted on: September 9, 2024, 11:40h.
Last updated on: September 9, 2024, 11:45h.
Mega Millions is reportedly set for major modifications in how the interstate lottery game operates.
In April, Casino.org reported rumblings first revealed by LotteryGeeks.com that the Mega Millions Consortium was mulling a substantial ticket price surge.
Newly disclosed documents from the Texas Lottery suggest the cost increase is only one of several big changes likely coming to the lottery game played in 45 states, Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands.
The Texas Lottery recently informed Doug Jennings, general counsel for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, of the proposed changes to Mega Millions. The enactment date is scheduled for April 8, 2025.
Mega Changes
While the Mega Millions Consortium is staying quiet on the rumored gameplay changes, the Texas Lottery’s proposed rule adjustments suggest the price for a basic ticket will increase from $2 to $5 next April.
The $1 add-on Megaplier is also set to terminate. The Megaplier allows tickets that won non-jackpot prizes to double, triple, quadruple, or quintuple their payout.
Along with drawing five white balls and a gold Mega Ball, the current Mega Millions drawings on Tuesday and Friday nights include a Megaplier draw that comes up on 2x, 3x, 4x, and 5x. The Megaplier pool of 15 balls includes five marked 2x, six 3x, three 4x, and one 5x.
Instead of the optional Megaplier, the proposed rules suggest implementing an automatic multiplier that could multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times.
States that offer the Just the Jackpot option, which provides players two chances to win the jackpot for $3 but no lower-tier prizes, is also slated to expire. The Just the Jackpot is presently offered in 14 states — Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The number of gold Mega Balls is set to be reduced from 25 to 24. That will slightly improve the players’ odds of one in 302.57 million in hitting the jackpot. The Mega Ball reduction would also improve the overall odds of winning a prize, as the gold ball is used in determining five lower-tier prizes.
The game changes are anticipated to generate increased interest by offering players the potential for larger jackpots, improved chances of winning through improved overall odds, improved chances of winning the jackpot prize through improved jackpot prize odds, and a new embedded multiplier feature that offers players the chance to increase non-jackpot prizes up to ten times,” the Texas Lottery explanation read.
The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday, September 10, is an estimated $800 million. The one-time cash option is $401.8 million.
Mega Backlash
Powerball, Mega Millions’ primary competitor, could be the big winner if Mega Millions goes through with the aforementioned changes. Our April coverage of the proposed ticket price increase from $2 to $5, a 150% surge, generated stern feedback, with nearly all of the comments in opposition.
I play a ticket in every Mega Millions and Powerball drawing. I will no longer play Mega Millions if this is true,” commented Lou on the $5 rumors.
“Mega Millions is drunk with delusion thinking they can get away with a $5 basic price to play,” added Eddie.
“I would only pay $5 if the jackpot was over a billion,” said Bob. “This could actually save me money.”