Mega Millions has announced several key changes to its game structure that will take effect in April 2025. Notably, the cost to play will increase from $2 per ticket to $5.
According to a statement issued by Mega Millions, these updates aim to offer players a more exciting experience with bigger jackpots and better odds while supporting charitable causes.
“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.”
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, Georgia. Lottery profits support a wide variety of government programs that are allocated differently in each jurisdiction.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot for $1.602 billion went to one winning ticket sold in Florida in August 2023.
