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In a little over a week, Mega Millions will be changing its format, raising ticket prices from $2 to $5. But, that’s not all that will be changing. With the price increase comes altered odds, bigger prizes and a larger starting jackpot. In Michigan, players can participate in the new Mega Millions from the convenience of their own homes, using the official Michigan Lottery app, which is free to download.
With the first drawing of the new format taking place on Tuesday, April 8, the Michigan Lottery is excited about what the Mega Millions changes could mean for their players, whether they’re buying their tickets in person or through the app.
Jacob Harris, Strategic Communications Leader at the Michigan Lottery, told PlayMichigan:
“The new version of Mega Millions will feature bigger prizes at every non-jackpot prize tier, better odds to win the jackpot, better odds overall, larger starting jackpots, and faster-growing jackpots. These enhancements, along with a built-in multiplier feature, bring new excitement to the game for Michiganders, and with bigger jackpots, will lead to more money for the School Aid Fund.”
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What changes are coming to Mega Millions
The final drawing under the current Mega Millions format will take place on Friday, April 4.
Currently, tickets cost $2, plus an optional $1 surcharge to play the Megaplier.
Starting April 8, the price of the ticket will change to $5. However, that will include an automatic Megaplier as part of each purchase, in addition to the other benefits of the new tickets—most notably, bigger jackpots and better odds of winning them. The multiplier will be either 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x and will be randomly assigned with each purchase.
Because of the multiplier, there are no break-even prizes in the new format. If you have a winning ticket, the minimum prize will be $10, double the price of the purchase.
Along with that, Mega Millions is removing one gold ball from the drawing options, leaving better overall odds to win a single prize and the jackpot.
Here’s a look at the notable changes starting April 8:
| Mega Millions | Old Format | New Format (April 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $2 | $5 |
| Starting Jackpot | $20 million | $50 million |
| Matrix | 5/70 + 1/25 | 5/70 + 1/24 |
| Overall Odds | 1:24 | 1:23 |
| Jackpot Odds | 1:302,575,350 | 1:290,472,336 |
| Non-Jackpot Prizes | $2 up to $1 million | $10 up to $10 million |
| Multiplier | $1 per play | Included |
How you can buy new Mega Millions tickets
The Michigan Lottery has plenty of ways for you to purchase a new Mega Millions ticket ahead of the April 8 drawing.
There are thousands of retail locations around the state, which you can find using the Michigan Lottery retail locator.
Michigan also has an online lottery that allows customers to purchase tickets online. Along with using the Michigan Lottery website, you can also use their mobile application to purchase Mega Millions tickets.
If looking to plan ahead, the state lottery also provides the option for online subscription services that allow you to pick your numbers and pay ahead of time for future drawings. This makes sure you don’t miss any of the two weekly drawings.
Purchases for the first $5 Mega Millions drawing will begin to take place following the conclusion of the April 4 drawing next Friday.
