Bigger Jackpots, Better Odds: Mega Millions Undergoes Major Changes

Mega Millions announced Tuesday that it is raising ticket prices next April from $2 to $5 — more than doubling in price, the game announced Monday.

The lottery game is preparing for a huge overhaul that promises "improved odds to win the jackpot," bigger jackpots more frequently, larger starting jackpots, faster-growing prizes and a built-in multiplier on every play.

It is also eliminating breakeven prizes, ensuring that when a player wins, they'll win more than what they paid for the ticket.

Mega Millions — based out of Olympia, Washington — has had a record of six jackpot wins exceeding $1 billion, according to the company.

Since launching in 2002, six winners have gotten billion-dollar jackpots. Since the lottery's last overhaul in 2017, more than 1,200 players have won a million dollars or more, Mega Millions said in a release.

"We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing," said Joshua Johnston, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium. "We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, meaning creating more billionaires and many more millionaires as the jackpots climb, plus this game will continue the important legacy of supporting great causes everywhere Mega Millions is played."