Recent Changes in the Mega Millions Game

For only a single dollar, you can purchase a Mega Millions ticket for the chance to win millions of dollars. You can also order lotto online. Whether you’ve been playing the game for years or you’re new to Mega Millions, a few things have changed about this popular lottery game. On October 19, 2013, Mega Millions experienced the following changes, according to the California Lottery.

The Starting Jackpot: What was once $12 million is now a lot more. The starting jackpot for Mega Millions is now a whopping $15 million. But that’s just starting. On December 17, 2013, two winning tickets received $324 million each!

The Numbers: More numbers! Originally, the field of numbers was from 1 through 56. But since the recent change, lottery players can now select from numbers 1 to 75. In addition, the Mega number field also changed from 1 through 46 to 1 through 15. 

The Odds: In addition to a change in the numbers, the odds have also changed. Some for the better. Now, the odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are one in 15, instead of the original odds of 1 in 40. However, the odds of winning the jackpot haven’t changed for the better. Originally, the odds of winning a jackpot were 1 in 176 million. Now it’s 1 in 259 million.

Annuity Payout: Before the change in October, the jackpot annuity payout was 26 years. Now, if you win the jackpot, you can expect your annuity payout to be spread out for the next 30 years. Whether you order your ticket lottery online or get it from your local liquor store, stay on top of the changes by visiting CALottery.com.