One of the most popular lottery games in Iowa, and around the country, will be getting a major overhaul with new game features, odds, as well as a prince increase come spring 2025.

The Mega Millions game is popular for obvious reasons. It affords players a chance at untold riches. That chance, however, will come at nearly double a ticket price among other enhancements, per the Iowa Lottery Headquarters in Clive, IA.

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Among the enhancements to the game are:

  • Improved odds to win the jackpot
  • Bigger jackpots more frequently
  • Larger starting jackpots
  • Faster-growing jackpots

Mega Millions will also add a built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot win by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x. So, winning $20 could theoretically net you $200, should you be lucky enough to hit the highest multiplier. Players will be able to win up to $10 million for matching just the five white balls, with no requirement to hit the "Mega Ball" in the drawing.

Photo Credit: GRAZVYDAS
Photo Credit: GRAZVYDAS
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Such enhancements and new multipliers will eliminate "break-even prizes," which means, should a player win, they'll always win more than the cost they paid to play.

However, improved odds and larger riches means a price-hike is coming. The current cost of a Mega Millions ticket in Iowa is $2. When these changes take effect in April 2025, the cost of a Mega Millions ticket will rise to $5. This is only the second price adjustment in the game's history, dating back to May 2002. This is also the first change since the current game design was adopted in 2017, per The Ottumwa Post.

Joshua Johnston, the director of Washington's Lottery and the lead director of the Mega Million Consortium, commented on the changes coming to the game:

We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing. 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. - Joshua Johnston, per The Ottumwa Post

Since its inception, Mega Millions has awarded six jackpots exceeding $1 billion. The game's largest prize was won back in $1.6 billion in August 2023 thanks to a ticket purchased in Florida. Iowa has offered Mega Millions tickets since January 2010, with 18 prizes of at least $1 million awarded by Iowa Lottery.

Read more about the forthcoming changes to Mega Millions in Iowa and beyond on The Ottumwa Post's website.

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