FILE PHOTO. A customer plays Mega Millions lottery at the Downtown Miami Souvenirs store on December 26, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Starting in 2025, you’ll have to pay more to try your luck in the Mega Millions lottery game.
The price of a ticket will increase to $5 per play starting in April.
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The price increase coincides with some big changes that game officials say will increase the odds of winning the jackpot and result in bigger jackpots more frequently.
"We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing," Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a press release in October. "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."
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According to game officials, other enhancements include larger starting jackpots, faster-growing jackpots, and a built-in multiplier that will automatically improve every non-jackpot win. There will also be no break-even prizes, meaning the prize will always be more than the cost of the ticket.
How much does a Mega Millions ticket cost?
Mega Millions tickets currently cost $2 per play, and most states offer a Megaplier – which increases non-jackpot prizes – for an extra dollar.
The upcoming price adjustment is only the second one since Mega Millions launched in 2002.
The Source: The information in this article comes from a press release from Mega Millions.