Mega Millions chief speaks out on price increase as furious players rage ‘I’ll never play again’ despite larger jackpots
THE Mega Millions lottery chief has insisted the recent ticket price hike will benefit players but they're not happy about the new cost.
The price of a ticket more than doubled as a single Mega Millions play will now cost you $5.
Mega Millions, played in 45 states, Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands, used to cost just $2.
The new price kicked in with Tuesday's drawing and lotto bosses insist it'll lead to more revenue, which means bigger jackpots.
Washington state lottery director Joshua Johnston, who heads the Mega Millions game, said the change is meant to spark excitement.
“People really want big jackpots,” Johnston told the Associated Press.
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“We expect to see a sales lift on this.”
With the new price, the minimum jackpot will now start at $50 million instead of $20 million.
And the odds of winning the jackpot have improved, moving from 1 in 302.6 million to 290 million.
Each time the grand prize rolls over, it will now jump more significantly, with billion-dollar jackpots expected more often.
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Other prizes have also increased as players who don't match all six numbers will now win at least $10.
A multiplier, which used to be a $1 add-on, is now built into the base ticker, boosting non-jackpot prizes up to 10 times.
But while officials are banking on a bigger jackpot to bring in more players, many long-time buyers are pushing back.
"I will no longer buy Mega Millions tickets. $5 a draw is too expensive," one furious player said on X.
Another user slammed it as a "free tax for the government with no need to provide services," while calling it a distraction.
Top lottery winners in the US
Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro - $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
- Theodorus Struyck - $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
- Unknown winner - $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida - $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
- Unknown winner - $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Unknown winner - he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden - $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown winner - $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Cheng and Duanpen Saephan, and Laiza Liem Chao - $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Rosemary Casarotti - $1.22 billion, Mega Millions, December 27 2024, from California
- Unknown winner - $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, from New Jersey
"Good luck with that...going from $2 to $5 is outrageous! I AM OUT!” said another lotto player.
"Guess I'll be poor," yet another frustrated user wrote.
Lottery officials say the new structure is meant to fight "jackpot fatigue," which is when players only tune in for massive prizes.
These days, even $300 million prizes don't move the needle like they used to.
Officials now expect the average winning jackpot to rise from $450 million to $800 million.
"When you get to a billion, people are like, ‘Whoa, that’s a whole lot of money,'" Johnston said.
Still, not all players are chasing the billion-dollar dream.
"I’d be satisfied with $1 million, and so would others," Sandie Yeaman of Omaha, Nebraska, said.
"One person winning $50 million is ridiculous."
Mega Millions is now the most expensive lottery draw game in the US.
By comparison, Powerball still costs $2 per play.
But some scratch tickets in Texas cost up to $100.
Internationally, Spain’s El Gordo Christmas lottery charges nearly $22 for a partial ticket, and over $200 for a full one.
Saeedith Williams of East Point, Georgia, said the price hike might make him pull back.
"Maybe I’ll buy one ticket a week now that it’s $5 a ticket," he said.
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Despite the backlash, the game still brings in major revenue for public services like education scholarships.
And for many, it's still about spending a few dollars to dream big, even if the odds remain steep.