Will the New Mega Millions Create More Jackpot Winners?

First Winner Under New Rules

It took just four draws from the rule update for someone to land the jackpot - a single ticket holder from Ohio matched the numbers 5, 13, 15, 17 and 28, plus the Mega Ball of 1 on Friday April 18. The prize was worth $112 million – or $49.3 million if the winner decides to take the cash option.

The ticket was sold at the Giant Eagle at 4401 Mayfield Road in South Euclid. More information will only come to light when the winner comes forward, but it has already been lauded as a landmark win.

Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said: “Moments like this are exactly why we reimagined the game. This jackpot win – and the millions of dollars going to non-jackpot winners every drawing – is the result of years of planning, collaboration, and listening to what players want. We’re proud of what this game is already delivering for our players and beneficiaries and are looking forward to the future big wins to come.”

How Changes Could Impact on Jackpot Wins

There were only four jackpot wins in the whole of 2024, and one of the recent changes was a minor tweak to the matrix to improve the odds. The number range for the main balls is still the same (5 from 70), but you now pick one Mega Ball from a range of 24 instead of 25.

This shifts the chances of winning for each ticket from 1 in 302,575,350 to 1 in 290,472,336. As a standalone change this would lead to more jackpot wins, but other factors make it less certain.

The ticket price has been raised from $2 to $5, and subsequently the level of participation has lowered. This can be seen from the total number of winners – there were 379,616 in the draw immediately before the update and 217,904 in the draw immediately afterwards.

If fewer tickets are being sold for each draw, it means there aren’t as many of the possible combinations being played. A consequence may therefore be that the jackpot will be won less frequently in future.

One of the expectations when the game changed was that there would be more big jackpots. The new ticket price will contribute towards this as the money raised for each draw will drive up the jackpot more quickly. More tickets are then likely to be sold when the jackpot becomes exceptionally large, and the improved odds could benefit any lucky player.

It is therefore hard to know whether the new version of Mega Millions will create more jackpot winners. Beyond doubt, though, is the way that it is already bringing bigger payouts in the other prize tiers.

In the first four draws since the changes were made, a total of $27.5 million was paid out across the eight prize categories below the jackpot. This is four times more than would have been paid out under the old matrix and rules.

One of the main reasons for this is the new multiplier, which has replaced the optional Megaplier. Under the new rules, every set of numbers is assigned a random multiplier – 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X – and any non-jackpot prize won is increased by that value. It is an innovation which makes it possible to win $10 million without even matching all the numbers, or to win $50 just by matching the Mega Ball on its own.

With the starting jackpot also going up to $50 million, it is an exciting time to play Mega Millions. Keep up to date with the latest winning numbers as soon as they are drawn on Tuesday and Friday nights.