Massachusetts State Lottery announces changes coming to Mega Millions including better odds, bigger jackpots, increase in game price

DORCHESTER, MA (October 7, 2024) – Mega Millions, the multi-state lottery game that has produced a record six jackpot wins exceeding $1 billion, is getting ready for a “mega” overhaul with plans that they say will make it bigger and better than ever when the new and improved game launches in April of 2025. Among the enhancements:

• Improved odds to win the jackpot
• Bigger jackpots more frequently
• Larger starting jackpots
• Faster growing jackpots
• A built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot win by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X – up to $10 million for matching the five white balls
• No breakeven prizes, meaning when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of the ticket

“With these enhancements, the game will offer increased value for those who are already playing, while making it more attractive for potential new players,” said Mark William Bracken, Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery. “The Mass Lottery has been a part of Mega Millions since it initially launched in 1996 as The Big Game and we are excited for the latest rendition that will hopefully produce additional jackpot winners in Massachusetts.”

Since the introduction of Mega Millions in 2002, there have been five jackpot winners in Massachusetts. The largest win occurred in July of 2004, when a $294 million jackpot was won on a ticket sold in Lowell. Most recently, jackpots of $33 million (Belchertown) and $31 million (Woburn) were won on consecutive Tuesdays in January of 2023. Jackpot prizes of $32 million (Dorchester) and $30.5 million (Hyannis) were won in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

When the new and improved game launches next April, tickets will cost $5 per play. This is only the game’s second price adjustment since the first ticket was sold more than 20 years ago and the first change since the current game matrix was adopted in 2017. Sales of the game have generated over $1 billion for Massachusetts cities and towns since 2002.

Mega Millions has produced six winners of billion-dollar jackpots nationwide since the game’s 2002 launch. Since the last change in 2017, more than 1,300 players have become millionaires, an average of three millionaires 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. ET on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, GA.