Great Lakes Wire

Michiganders will soon experience an updated version of the Mega Millions lottery game. The revamped game promises to offer enhanced prizes and larger starting jackpots beginning on April 8. The final drawing for the current version will take place on Friday, April 4.

The new Mega Millions game introduces improved odds, larger starting jackpots, and faster-growing prizes. "Improved overall odds – Overall odds to win any prize will improve to 1:23 from 1:24 due to the removal of one gold Mega Ball from the game," notes the announcement. Additionally, the odds of winning the jackpot will be 1:290,472,336 instead of the previous 1:302,575,350. The game will now feature 24 Mega Balls instead of 25.

The starting jackpot will reset at $50 million, higher than the variable amounts observed before. Mega Millions anticipates that the average jackpot win will increase to over $800 million compared to approximately $450 million previously. Furthermore, non-jackpot prizes will benefit from a multiplier ranging from 2X to 10X, increasing non-jackpot winnings from $10 to $10 million.

Tickets for the upgraded Mega Millions game will cost $5, reflecting only the second price adjustment since the game's initial launch over two decades ago. The previous adjustment occurred in 2017. The “Megaplier” add-on feature will be replaced by the new built-in multiplier.

For players holding winning tickets from draws before the April 8 changes, prizes will be awarded based on the conditions active at the time of purchase. Unclaimed jackpots from April 4 that do not produce a winner will transition into the new game's structure, continuing to grow with subsequent ticket sales.

Mega Millions, established in 2002, has previously produced seven jackpot winners of over a billion dollars. Since 2017, more than 1,200 players claimed millionaire status with an average of three millionaires emerging weekly. Michigan's latest major win occurred in January 2021 with an Oakland County lottery club securing a $1.05 billion jackpot, the largest in Michigan's history.

The game is available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with draws held at 11 p.m. Eastern Time in Atlanta, Georgia, every Tuesday and Friday.