Beginning April 8th Mega Millions players will see changes that include larger jackpots, better odds of winning and a built-in multiplier that increases non-jackpot prizes. Mega Millions drawings will still consist of five white balls and one gold Mega Ball for a total of six winning numbers.
Under a new matrix, the number of white balls will stay at 70 and the number of gold balls will decrease from 25 to 24. The result will be improved odds of winning the jackpot prize, one in 290 million, and many other prize levels.
The starting Mega Millions jackpot will also increase from $20 million to $50 million. “We anticipate that the larger Mega Millions jackpots and new features will appeal to our players,” says Brian Rockey, Nebraska Lottery Director. “The Mega Millions Consortium that sets the game rules does not include Nebraska, but under a licensing arrangement we’ve offered Mega Millions since 2010.”
Rockey says it has produced several Nebraska millionaires along with millions in proceeds for good causes across the state. Other enhancements that players will see include faster growing jackpots, a built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot prize by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X, up to $10 million for matching the five white balls and no breakeven prizes.
That means when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of a play. The price of each Mega Millions play will be $5. Tickets for the enhanced game will go on sale beginning April 5.