Starting next year, it will cost MORE to throw money away.
Mega Millions lottery officials have announced some exciting "mega enhancements," which will launch next April and the biggest one is a STEEP price increase.
The cost of a ticket will jump 150%, from $2.00 to $5.00.
That's a big increase, but Mega Millions says it's TOTALLY worth it, because you're going to WIN more! They claim the higher price will include:
1. Improved odds to win the jackpot.
2. Bigger jackpots more frequently.
3. Larger starting jackpots.
4. Faster growing jackpots.
5. A built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving non-jackpot wins by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X . . . up to $10 million for matching the five white balls.
6. No break-even prizes, meaning when a player wins, they'll always win more than the cost of the ticket.
The press release says, "Since Mega Millions launched in 2002, it has produced six winners of billion-dollar jackpots. Since the [game] change in 2017, more than 1,200 players have become millionaires, an average of three per week."
An official named Joshua Johnston says the price surge is still a BARGAIN. Quote, "Spending five bucks to become a millionaire or billionaire, that's pretty good- you pay five bucks for your Starbucks."
Mega Millions didn't specify what the "improved odds" will be . . . but the current odds of winning are set at 1-in-302.6 MILLION. (Meanwhile, at Starbucks, your odds of receiving your order are closer to 1-in-1.)
More specifics are coming, but two things AREN'T changing: You can still only play Mega Millions in 45 states. Powerball will stay at $2.00 for most tickets.
(AP / Mega Millions)
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