Sunflower State News

Lottery enthusiasts in Kansas are set to experience a revamped version of the Mega Millions game, known for its billion-dollar jackpots. The updated game will commence following the final draw of the current version on April 4, with the first draw under the new structure scheduled for April 8 at 11 p.m. Eastern.

Stephen Ortiz, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Kansas Lottery, highlighted that players had expressed a desire for larger non-jackpot prizes. "Beyond big jackpots, our players told us they want bigger non-jackpot prizes and that’s exactly what this new game delivers," Ortiz stated. He noted that winnings in various tiers would see significant increases, ranging from $10 to $50 based on multipliers.

The changes include an increase in starting jackpots from $20 million to $50 million and faster-growing jackpots. The Mega Millions Consortium projects an average jackpot win of over $800 million compared to approximately $450 million currently.

A notable feature is the built-in random multiplier which will automatically multiply non-jackpot wins by up to 10 times their base prize. Prizes now range from $10 to $10 million versus the previous range of $2 to $1 million.

Additionally, improved odds have been introduced; overall odds improve from 1:24 to 1:23 due to one less gold Mega Ball in play. Jackpot odds also improve from 1:302,575,350 to 1:290,472,336.

Tickets for this enhanced version will cost $5 per play—a change only made once before since tickets were first sold over two decades ago. The "Megaplier" feature is being replaced by a built-in multiplier on each ticket while retiring the "Just the Jackpot" feature.

If no winner emerges during the April 4 drawing under current rules, any existing jackpot will roll into this new format and continue growing with sales from it. Players holding winning tickets issued before these changes can claim prizes based on previous matrices if done within deadlines set by participating lotteries.

Since its inception in 2002, Mega Millions has seen seven billion-dollar jackpot winners across different states and produced over 1,200 millionaires since its last update in 2017—averaging three millionaire creations weekly.

Mega Millions remains a national lottery available across 45 states plus Washington D.C., and U.S Virgin Islands with drawings held twice weekly at Atlanta's designated time slot supporting diverse good causes through profits allocated per jurisdictional guidelines.