Mega Millions to Become Fast Track Jackpot Game with New Upgrades Coming Spring 2025
Multidraw option will be temporarily suspended after Jan. 28
This spring the multistate game Mega Millions will undergo sweeping changes to create a “fast track” jackpot game for those who don’t like to wait for eye-popping jackpot levels, along with adding features that differentiate it from its cohort, Powerball. Some of the enhancements include a larger starting jackpot, slightly lower overall odds of winning, a built-in prize-multiplier feature and no break-even prizes.
Along with these upgrades comes a price adjustment as the ticket cost moves from $2/$3 a play to $5 a play. It’s the second Mega Millions price change in the game’s 20 years.
Fast tracking the jackpot size begins with a starting jackpot that will more than double to $50 million, and an average jackpot size will soar to $803 million. As a nice touch, the odds of winning the jackpot will improve slightly from 1 in 302.5 million to 1 in 290.5 million.
It's not just the jackpot getting a big boost; to pump up other prize levels, every play will include a multiplier that prints automatically on the ticket. Any winnings for the play are multiplied by that number. This will result in larger average nonjackpot prizes, particularly with the inclusion of a new 10x prize multiplier (in addition to 2x, 3x, 4x and 5x)! That means up to a $10 million prize is possible for matching all five white-ball numbers.
With the new Mega Millions, there will be no break-even prizes. Regardless of the multiplier, players will win at least double the cost of the play when they win. For example, the prize for matching just the yellow Mega Ball number will range from $10 up to $50 when the new game goes live.
Overall odds of winning a prize will get slightly better, moving from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23, as one yellow Mega Ball number is being removed from the matrix. So players will select 5 of 70 white-ball numbers and 1 of 24 yellow Mega Ball numbers.
“The new Mega Millions game should further diversify the Louisiana Lottery’s product portfolio,” said Lottery President Rose Hudson. “With Powerball and Mega Millions having different starting jackpots, draw nights, and game features, we are giving our players more choices than ever before in how to play multistate, multimillion-dollar jackpot games all week long.”
In order to prepare the matrix change, the Lottery will temporarily suspend the multidraw option for Mega Millions after the draw break on Jan. 28. The multidraw option allows players to purchase tickets for a select number of future drawings.
The Mega Millions multidraw option will be stepped down as follows:
| Multidraw Option | Last Day to Purchase (by 9:00 p.m.) |
| 20-Draw Ticket | Tuesday, January 28, 2025 |
| 10-Draw Ticket | Tuesday, March 4, 2025 |
| 5-Draw Ticket | Friday, March 21, 2025 |
| 4-Draw Ticket | Tuesday, March 25, 2025 |
| 3-Draw Ticket | Friday, March 28, 2025 |
| 2-Draw Ticket | Tuesday, April 1, 2025 |
On Saturday April 5, sales begin for the first Powerball Monday drawing on April 8 and the multidraw option will return fully to the game.
More information will be available on the Lottery’s website. The Lottery reminds ticket purchasers to play responsibly, encouraging anyone who has a gambling problem, or friends and family of anyone with a gambling problem, to call toll-free 1-877-770-7867 for help. Ticket purchasers must be at least 21 years of age.
