BALTIMORE, MD—The Mega Millions lottery game is getting a major makeover starting April 5, with bigger prizes, faster-growing jackpots, and a new built-in multiplier feature. The price of a ticket will also increase from $2 to $5.
The most significant change is the starting jackpot, which will double from $20 million to $50 million. All other prize amounts will also increase, with the minimum prize for a winning ticket jumping from $2 to $10.
The new Mega Millions format will see players choose five numbers from a range of 1 to 70, but the range for the Mega Ball will decrease from 1 to 25 to 1 to 24. Each $5 ticket will include a randomly generated multiplier of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X, which will be applied to any winning prize. The prize structure chart will show a “Base Prize” amount for each prize tier.
“For many years, Mega Millions and Powerball have been very similar to one another, and the new Mega Millions format diversifies our menu of options,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “Maryland Lottery players who enjoy jackpot-style games will have three distinctly different choices.”
For example, the current second-tier prize of $1 million will now range from $2 million to $10 million, while the third-tier prize will increase from $10,000 to a range of $20,000 to $100,000.
Mega Millions drawings are held twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. in Atlanta. Drawing videos are available to watch via mdlottery.com. Tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
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