Mega Millions stunned Americans by suddenly raising its price from $2 to an astounding $5 starting this month.
The lottery consortium claims the 150% increase will benefit players with better odds and bigger jackpots.
However, many hardworking Americans question whether this is just another scheme to extract more money from those who take a chance at luck.
Starting in April 2025, Mega Millions lottery tickets will jump from $2 to $5, marking the second price increase in the game’s history.
The first increase came in 2017 when tickets doubled from $1 to $2. This significant price hike comes as many Americans are already struggling with rising costs on essential goods and services.
The lottery consortium defends the steep increase by promising enhanced benefits for players, including slightly improved odds and bigger jackpots.
The starting jackpot will jump from $20 million to $50 million, and the odds of winning will improve from 1 in 303 million to 1 in 290 million—a change that critics point out is barely noticeable to the average player.
Lottery officials claim their research shows players do not mind paying more if bigger prizes are available.
“The research done prior to this change shows that players are receptive to the higher price points if they know there are both bigger jackpots and bigger prizes available throughout,” a lottery spokesperson stated.
“We also know that $5 is a very popular price point for other lottery games available in most states, so there is appetite for that,” the spokesperson added.
Among the changes being implemented, Mega Millions will remove one gold Mega Ball, improving the overall odds of winning any prize from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23.
Every winning ticket will now pay out at least $10, effectively allowing winners to double their money at minimum.
The game will also include an automatic prize multiplier that previously cost an additional $1, potentially boosting non-jackpot prizes by 2X to 10X.
Since its launch in 2002, Mega Millions has produced seven billion-dollar jackpots and created over 1,200 millionaires across America.
The highest jackpot in the game’s history reached $1.6 billion in August 2023. Lottery officials claim the changes will lead to more billion-dollar prizes in the future.
Lottery representative Joshua Johnston confidently stated, “People really want big jackpots,” and added, “We expect to see a sales lift on this.”
For players who match three white balls and the Mega Ball, winnings will start at $400, with the multiplier potentially increasing that amount significantly.
The revamped game continues to be available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with drawings held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET.
