The price of a Mega Millions ticket will more than double next year as part of an overhaul of the lottery game.
Starting in April 2025, tickets will increase from $2 to $5, Mega Millions announced on Monday.
Lottery tickets for the Mega Millions jackpot are seen in a store on Aug. 8, 2023 in New York.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
The increase will mark the second price adjustment since the lottery game launched in 2002, Mega Millions said.
Other changes to debut in the spring include no breakeven prizes, “meaning when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of the ticket,” Mega Millions said.
Mega Millions said the overhauled game will result in jackpots that start larger, grow faster and are bigger more frequently, as well as better odds of winning the jackpot.
“We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing,” Joshua Johnston, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement. “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.”
Mega Millions has produced six jackpot wins that have exceeded $1 billion — most recently in March, when a single ticket sold at a ShopRite liquor store in Neptune Township, New Jersey, won the $1.128 jackpot.
Tickets for the lottery game are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The current odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, according to Mega Millions.
In 2022, Mega Millions, one of the largest and most popular lottery games in the United States, will be implementing some major changes that will impact players across the country. One of the most significant changes that will be taking place is an increase in ticket prices.
Starting next year, the cost of a Mega Millions ticket will be rising from $2 to $3 per play. This price hike is the first increase in ticket prices for the game since 2017, and it is part of a larger effort by Mega Millions to enhance the overall player experience and increase the size of jackpots.
While some players may be disappointed by the increase in ticket prices, Mega Millions officials have stated that the additional revenue generated from the price hike will be used to fund larger starting jackpots and more frequent jackpot increases. This means that players can expect to see even bigger and more exciting jackpots in the future, which could potentially lead to record-breaking payouts.
In addition to the increase in ticket prices, Mega Millions will also be making other changes to the game in 2022. One of the most notable changes is the introduction of a new feature called “Just the Jackpot,” which will allow players to purchase a ticket for just the jackpot prize, rather than for the full game. This feature is designed to appeal to players who are primarily interested in playing for the chance to win a massive jackpot.
Overall, the changes that Mega Millions will be implementing in 2022 are aimed at making the game more exciting and appealing to players. While the increase in ticket prices may be a disappointment for some, the promise of larger jackpots and more frequent jackpot increases is sure to keep players coming back for more. So if you’re a fan of Mega Millions, get ready for an even more thrilling and rewarding gaming experience in the new year.
