American lottery US Mega Millions is set to become even more mega-sized with a series of major changes that will roll out in October 2017.
Starting with its draw on Tuesday, 31st October 2017, the new game rules will be in effect. Here’s what you need to know about the changes and how it will affect the game.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The most exciting change is that starting jackpots will see an increase from US$15,000,000 to US$40,000,000. Firstly, this means that we might see higher rollovers and jackpots that grow larger, much faster (possibly even rivaling US Powerball!). However, it will also become harder to win the top prize as the odds will increase from around 1:250 million to 1:300 million.
But before you despair, know that it will become approximately 30% easier to win the 2nd prize, which amounts to a hefty US$1 million. This is because the odds of winning for this prize category will decrease from 1 in 18 million to 1 in 12 million. So expect to see a lot more millionaires being made, thanks to these new changes.
Also, a lot of the payouts for the others prize tiers will increase. The 3rd prize will increase from US$5,000 to US$10,000 and a lot of the smaller prizes will DOUBLE in size! For the complete list, check out the list below:
Prize Category Current Payout New Payout
Prize III (4 numbers + Bonus) US$5,000 US$10,000
Prize IV (4 numbers) US$500 US$500
Prize V (3 numbers + Bonus) US$50 US$200
Prize VI (3 numbers) US$5 US$10
Prize VII (2 numbers + Bonus) US$5 US$10
Prize VIII (1 numbers + Bonus) US$2 US$4
Prize VIII (Bonus) US$2 US$4
HOW DO I PLAY US MEGA MILLIONS?
The game structure will undergo major changes. Form October 28th, players will have to select 5 main numbers from a pool of 1 – 70 instead of 75. They’ll also pick a bonus ‘megaball’ number from 1 – 25, instead of the previous 1-12.