Mega Millions Lottery Game Getting Mega Enhancements In April

CONNECTICUT — Mega Millions, the national lottery game that has awarded a record seven jackpot wins exceeding $1 billion, is preparing for a mega makeover.

A "new and improved" game is set to launch next month, CT Lottery officials said Tuesday.

The enhancements include:

• Improved odds to win the jackpot
• Bigger jackpots, more frequently
• Every play includes a randomly selected Multiplier that increases every non-jackpot base prize by 2-times, 3-times, 4-times, 5-times or 10-times
• No break-even prizes, every win delivers a prize at least two times the cost per play
• Bigger secondary prizes and players will be able to win up to $10 million for matching the five white balls

"As we continue to innovate and enhance the player experience, we are excited to introduce new changes to the Mega Millions game,” CT Lottery President and CEO said Frank Suarez said. "These adjustments not only increase the jackpot potential but also provide more ways for players to win, bringing even greater excitement and opportunity to the millions who participate. We believe these changes will create a more dynamic and rewarding experience for our players, and we can't wait for everyone to see what’s in store."

When the new and improved game launches in April, the cost will be $5 per play. That marks the game's second price adjustment since its debut more than 20 years ago and the first change since the current game matrix was adopted in 2017.

Mega Millions launched in 2002 and, since the last game change in 2017, more than 1,200 Mega Millions players have become millionaires, an average of almost three millionaires created per week.

Mega Millions is a national game with tickets sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, GA. Lottery profits support a wide variety of causes, with allocations varying by jurisdiction.

Currently, the overall odds of Mega Millions are 1 in 24.0, and the jackpot odds are 1 in 302,575,350. When the new game launches, the overall odds will be 1 in 23.07, and the jackpot odds will be 1 in 290,472,336.