A Mega Player Experience

Published May 20, 2025

The year has been going by fast and summer is right around the corner. One of the things that lit a fire under us all this spring was the Mega Millions game change. It has been almost eight years since the last game change in 2017. Everyone is anxiously awaiting the verdict on whether this change will be net positive for the industry and the jurisdictions that sell the game. It is very early to tell what this change will eventually mean for national games of this size, but after the first month of sales we can see a marked improvement in what players are experiencing compared to the previous game. Below are just a few highlights taken from a recent press release for the Mega Millions Consortium:

• 1.89 million players won $51.3 million in non-jackpot prizes. That’s a 308% increase from the $12.5 million those prizes would have been valued at in the old game.

• Prizes at every non-jackpot level are paying out at a combined 2.6X to 7.5X the value they would have under the old game matrix, meaning prizes being awarded at every level are outpacing the game’s price adjustment.

• The first jackpot under the new matrix was won just four drawings into the new game. On April 18, a $112 million jackpot was won on a ticket sold in Ohio. Under the new game rules, the jackpot was reset to $50 million and is already up to $139 million again for the Tuesday, May 20th drawing.

• Six people have become millionaires by matching the five white balls during a drawing. Three of them won $2 million, two won $3 million, and another won $4 million. Winners bought tickets in California, Michigan, New York (2), Virginia and Washington.

The added value of the new game is being felt, and it’s a positive sign that players will adjust to the game’s new price and attributes. We are excited to see where the game goes as it grows and continues to deliver for our players and our beneficiaries. 

Harold Mays

NASPL President

Director, Illinois Lottery