Mega Millions says new rules will more than double jackpot value
The new rules will come into play on April 8, the company said.
New Mega Millions rules will come into play next month, the company has announced, under which the minimum jackpot value will more than double to $50 million.
The new rules will come into force after the final drawing of the current game on Friday, April 4, the company said in a notice posted to its website. The first drawing under the new rules will be on April 8.
From that draw, jackpots will start at $50 million, rather than the current starting point of $20 million. "Jackpots are expected to grow faster and get to higher dollar amounts more frequently in the new game," the company said.
Minimum non-jackpot prizes will jump in value from between $2 and $1 million to between $10 and $10 million. Every winning ticket will payout at least double the price, Mega Millions said.
RELATED: Mega Millions tickets will soon cost you $5 to play
Mega Millions will introduce a new $5 game with a built-in multiplier, with a multiplier value of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 randomly assigned at the time of purchase.
Prizes for match 5 -- achieved by matching five white balls -- will range from $2 million to $10 million with the new multiplier.
Matching the Mega Ball on its own will now payout $10 to $50, depending on the assigned multiplier.
Mega Millions said the new rules improve the odds of players winning the jackpot -- from 1 in 302,575,350 to 1 in 290,472,336 -- due to the removal of one gold Mega Ball from the game. The new format will have 24 rather than 25 Mega Balls.
Overall odds of winning any prize will improve to 1 in 23 from 1 in 24, the company said.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Top Mega Millions Jackpots
1. $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023 (one ticket in Florida)
2. $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket in South Carolina)
3. $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (one ticket in Maine)
4. $1.337 billion, July 29, 2022 (one ticket in Illinois)
5. $1.22 billion, Dec. 27, 2024 (one ticket in California)
6. $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024 (one ticket in New Jersey)
7. $1.050 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (one ticket in Michigan)
8. $810 million, Sept. 10, 2024 (one ticket in Texas)
9. $656 million, March 30, 2012 (three tickets in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland)
10. $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (two tickets sold in California, Georgia)
Here is a look at the 10 largest U.S. jackpots that have been won and the states where the winning tickets were sold:
1. $2.040 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022 (one ticket: California)
2. $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023 (one ticket: California)
3. $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023 (one ticket: Florida)
4. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets: California, Florida and Tennessee)
5. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket: South Carolina)
6. $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023 (one ticket: Maine)
7. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022 (one ticket: Illinois)
8. $1.22 billion, December 27, 2024 (one ticket in California)
9. $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024 (one ticket in New Jersey)
10. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July, 19, 2023 (one ticket: California)
WATCH: New York state lottery drawings live daily at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:15 p.m.
Powerball drawings are also streamed here on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
Mega Millions drawings are streamed on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 p.m.
