Mega Millions Update Coming Next Month

Here’s a head’s up that changes are coming in the Mega Millions® game next month. And like the updates that were made in Powerball® last year, they’ll mean a higher starting jackpot, faster growing jackpots and a $1 million second prize. But the price of a Mega Millions ticket will remain unchanged at $1, and while there will be better overall odds of winning any prize, the odds in all nine of the game’s prize levels will change, with some growing longer and others decreasing.

We think the changes will turn up the excitement level while continuing to differentiate Powerball and Mega Millions as separate premier big-jackpot games, each with its own features.

Starting with the Mega Millions drawing on Oct. 22, the game’s minimum starting jackpot will increase from $12 million to $15 million, and the jackpot will grow by at least $5 million between drawings when no one wins the big prize.

The numbers available to play in Mega Millions will change with the new version of the game. Players will choose five balls from a pool of 75 (currently 56) and another number, called the Mega Ball®, from a separate pool of 15 (currently 46). The result will be overall odds of about 1 in 15 to win any prize (currently about 1:40). 

Under the new matrix, the odds of winning the jackpot move to 1 in 258.9 million (currently 1:175.7 million).

Here are some of the other enhancements that players will see:
•    The Megaplier, a multiplier option that players can purchase for an additional $1 per play to increase their non-jackpot prizes, will be expanded to include a factor of five (currently four). That means a Mega Millions ticket will be able to win up to $5 million even without matching all six numbers.
•    The Mega Millions prize structure also will change. For example, the game’s second prize will increase from $250,000 to $1 million for matching the first five numbers.

Here is what the Mega Millions prize structure will look like effective next month:

Mega Millions Prize Structure effective October 2013
Match	Base Prize	Odds: 1 in
5 + Mega Ball	JACKPOT	258,890,850
5 (no Mega Ball)	$1 million	18,492,204
4 + Mega Ball	$5,000	738,688
4 (no Mega Ball)	$500	52,835
3 + Mega Ball	$50	10,720
3 (no Mega Ball)	$5	766
2 + Mega Ball	$5	473
1 + Mega Ball	$2	56
0 + Mega Ball	$1	21
overall odds of winning a prize: 1 in 14.7

Beginning tomorrow, the number of Mega Millions drawings for which you can purchase plays in advance will gradually decrease until the start of the revamped game. Then they’ll go back to the usual 10 drawings in advance once the redesign takes effect. 

Mega Millions tickets have been sold in Iowa since 2010; Powerball since 1992. The last time the Mega Millions matrix changed was in June 2005.

In addition to Mega Millions and Powerball, the Iowa Lottery sells four other numbers games: Hot Lotto®, Pick 3, Pick 4 and Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game.

Comments

[Mary Neubauer]

Hi, Alan. Good to hear from you. I'll pass your comments along to the planning groups for those games.

[Alan E. Thompson]

I'm saddened that both the PowerBall and MegaMillions games have been altered in ways that appear to be motivated to increase the money that is kept, rather than continuing the pricing (PowerBall) and chances for players to obtain a jackpot win (MegaMillions). When the organizers of the Clinton River Boat Days got greedy, attendance dropped off dramatically and we no longer have this annual celebration. Both games were making PLENTY of money, and there remained a strong attraction to continue playing until this money grab was made in both games. I believe a majority of players, play for the jackpot, so increasing the odds of winning in the lower payout plays, just doesn't cut it. aet