New England Alert :Mega Millions Price Increasing But Are Odds of Winning?

Mega Millions has long been a favorite for multi-state lotteries, but the Mega Millions Consortium says it's too much like Powerball, so in October they announced they were changing it up.

They're changing it up alrighty, by more than doubling the price.

As of April, the price for a Mega Millions ticket goes from $2 to $5.  That's a crazy increase, so what's the point?

The overhaul is to make some major improvements to the game, and yes the new odds are 1 in 290 million down from 1 in 302.5 million, according to lotterypost.com.

Still Staggering Odds to Win

While they do expect more billion dollar jackpots, therefore more billion dollar winners, the odds are still staggering.

Here's another change to the game:

Additionally, the Megaplier will no longer be optional — it will automatically be added to every play and offers a chance to improve non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X, up to $10 million.

 

These States Participate

All six New England states participate.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.  I wonder if my odds are any better if I buy a ticket in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

New Englanders are all in the same boat with the rest of the country, and although the jackpots are not as large, we do have our own state lotteries with big payoffs.

Isn't strange how a $1,000,000 jackpot doesn't seem that big anymore?

I don't know anyone who wouldn't want or need an extra million bucks.  And so it goes.

Read More: Luckiest Lottery Spot in Maine