Mega Millions multi-state lottery to get harder to win in Oct.

Not only will it be more difficult to win the grand prize but the odds on the 2nd tier prize will go up over 400%. Curious to see what they bump the payout for 2nd place.
There are many states that offer in-state lottery games with much better odds and higher jackpots than 2nd place in MM.

May 20, 2013, 6:49 am

I think that these changes are going to attract the average players when the jackpot gets really high. People that study lotteries or track them will probably play less until the jackpot shoots up really high. Just my two-cents.

Jill34786

May 20, 2013, 7:13 am

I rarely play as it is so it will take an enormous jackpot for people like myself to donate.

GiveFive

May 20, 2013, 7:22 am

Given that we're seeing more frequent PB jackpots since January of 2012 when PB raised it's price per line to two dollars, I'm guessing that MM has learned from PB's experience.

There's no doubt that large JP's drive increased sales. MM has seen what happened with PB. They too want more large JP's, but probably dont want to raise the price of a line to two bucks. Could this be their way of getting more frequent large JP's without raising the cost per line?

May 20, 2013, 7:40 am

In response to GiveFive

I agree. That's the ONLY way.

HiFi

May 20, 2013, 7:51 am

how greedy can they get? i guess there is no limit to greed. everybody should boycott this because that is terrible odds.

CLETU$

May 20, 2013, 7:59 am

In response to HiFi

I,for one,will NOT fall into line like a nice little sheep and go along with being fleeced out of my money by a greedy lottery commission!I will boycot this decision and refuse to buy MM tickets.I have one ticket left for tomorrow nights jackpot and then that's it for me.

Tatototman65

May 20, 2013, 8:06 am

Boycott time...

May 20, 2013, 8:06 am

In response to CLETU$

It's not really greed as much as it is common sense. The masses will throw down a buck or two for a chance at a HUGH jackpot and that's what they are counting on. This was evident buy the $590 million jackpot. People go crazy and impulsive when the Jackpots are high. So who is the greedy one, the players or the government? I say both. Ha..ha. I'll be quite happy with winning a million or two.

Tatototman65

May 20, 2013, 8:10 am

^^^

I believe people go crazy and impulsive when jackpots are high because it rarely happens. With a game that's ALWAYS high with even worse odds, I don't think people will go lotto crazy that much, if at all.

smooth11484

May 20, 2013, 8:11 am

In response to jackpotismine

its greedy because instead of letting the megamill hit 1 every two weeks or so, so people like you and me know its possible to hit. they wanna make it harder to raise jackpot thinking that more people will play tricking us thinking ahh its a big jack pot let me throw a extra dollar on. the aticle clearly states that its made like that to raise more money. (not for us) well no one can not deny that they would not play mega millions more if somebody hits jackpot atleast 2 times a month rather than a large jackpot 1 every 2 months

May 20, 2013, 8:37 am

In response to smooth11484

Remember that Lotteries in general are there to benefit the government (black projects,bribes,pet projects, high salaries,etc.) first and foremost. Why do you think they stop online gambling for the most part. They are the 'mafia's' of the world. They and only they can profit from gambling. Everyone else gets shut down. Anyway, I wonder how high will it go once this is in place, $1 billion? $2 billion? Wow! That would be something.

ashabug725

May 20, 2013, 8:42 am

In response to Tatototman65

veganlife125

May 22, 2013, 9:03 pm

Hi to you miracleplay and thanks! I've been vegan now for 4 years love it. Back on topic though: MegaMillions will rock with the first billion dollar lottery muhahaha! PowerBall will cry "FOUL" and have to follow suit!

RJOh

May 22, 2013, 9:07 pm

In response to SLOYAROLE

"I'm not a regular lottery player. I'll buy a few tickets for high jackpots such as the recent MM and PB drawings."

It's not the occasional players that they will be depending on to make this work, it's the regular players who regularly put a few dollars on the games regardless the jackpot amount. Your occasional dollars or two when the jackpot get large will always be there if the jackpot is large enough.

Down

May 22, 2013, 9:23 pm

so once they make the change all the combinations get re-set. to 0 out of 200,000,000 (or whatever it is) so all the tracking people have been doing for this game for years watching past draws and whatnot they will have to throw it all out and start all over. Didn't relly read the whole post, did they say anything about bigger starting jackpots?

May 22, 2013, 10:06 pm

In response to RJOh

I think that's exactly what's going to happen.

Players will buy a few extry tickets now before they cut back or quit when it goes into "one chance in a gazillion" mode.

May 22, 2013, 10:08 pm

In response to Down

Yeah, 15 million instead of 12 million.

SLOYAROLE

May 22, 2013, 10:45 pm

Then, I guess I'm not understanding the reasoning behind the re-format. It's not like MM is producing a jackpot winner every couple of draws. If this is all about being the first game to produce a $1 billion jackpot, then I get it. At the end of the day, I just don't see this as an "improvement" to the game. The way i see it, the smart player will sit out until the jackpot reaches their threshold. With matrix they've decided on, I can easily sit out until 3 or 4 hundred million before buying a line or two. I'll let you guys build the one-billion-dollar jackpot. It'll be good for the state and the lottery commissions, but the players will realize that 5/75 + 1/15 is just too unreasonable.

veganlife125

May 23, 2013, 12:26 am

Im really surprised at the reaction to this change from most of the regulars here that i've read for years. For us gamblers to play the greedy, jealousy, envy card when we are trying to win a gazillion dollars we didn't work for is unbecoming haha! Let's show a little more libertarian spirit! However, if i'm wrong in 6 months or so and they change it back i'll say "hey fella's (and gals...wink!) im wrong".

Seriously though, the motive for any business is profit but that is achieved by serving the needs of the customers. If you don't do it someone else will. Players want larger jackpots at lower prices sorta like Walmart. It achieves the only 2 MAIN objectives. More money for THE GOVERNMENT and THE JACKPOT WINNER. Only the smallest percentage of players think about prizes in tier 2 thru 5.

Don't believe it? If 30 people on a huge lottery win the second tier prize of $200,000 how many paid the extra dollar to win $1,000,000 hmmm? Thats right. Hardly none. No ones "playin" for second. Anyway, the only reason its taking longer to get to "where its going to go" is that this thing is being run by government beauracrats instead of business capitalists (like the brilliant owner of this website) and changes move slowly through the system.

Where do i see this thing going? Not sure of the exact order but..........

1. Minimum jackpot of 100 million.

2. All ticket prices to stay at $1 a play.

3. Overall odds of hitting the jackpot about 1 in 300 million. (Instead of (1 in 175 mil) or (1 in 258 mil).

4. MegaMillions and Powerball will merge into one game. They will call it (MegaBall or PowerMillions)

5. Draws will be on Tuesday's and Friday's only (Got to milk the masses on Friday afternoon payday while they still have some money in their pocket!)

Any Questions?

May 23, 2013, 11:05 am

In response to veganlife125

I'm not a vegan but all the rabbits and squirrels in the holler are.

And it don't seem to make 'em taste any healthier.

Ronnie316

May 23, 2013, 11:10 am

In response to rdgrnr

Id rather go back to buying $20 scratch tickets.

May 23, 2013, 11:17 am

In response to Ronnie316

Oh, I can't do those $20 instant loss tickets.

One time I went into a rage and flipped over the whole display rack of Cheezy Poofs.

Ronnie316

May 23, 2013, 11:54 am

MM should take lessons from PB and go BIG........

Uff Da!

May 23, 2013, 1:12 pm

It will be back to the state lotto for me except when the jackpot is unusually large. I rarely play Powerball since the price change, either.

Toronto

May 23, 2013, 2:30 pm

In response to veganlife125

Explain to me how this will bring more money? The reason PB worked was even with lower ticket sales (which there was, in fact, a drop in # of tickets sold for each equivalent jackpot level vs. the old game), they still made more sales/revenue because the ticket price doubled. This does none of that. Jackpots will grow slower, thereby doing what MM has been doing all year until reaching $190 million (which isn't that high in relative terms) recently - that is being won continually at lower jackpots because the jackpots grow so slowly.The starting jackpot isn't that much more attractive ($15 million) compared to what it already is. Powerball, almost through the entirety of the time it's been cross-sold & under the $2 matrix game, has been a higher jackpot thereby taking away sales from MM (you can go look at sales for MM and they have been terrible outside of the record jackpot); you used to see ~$20 million sales on the $12 million starting jackpot.

So again, how will this bring in more money? The one time a year that the jackpot is able to reach a level where they sell $175.7 million in unique tickets and it still rolls over (due to 258.9 million odds)?

RJOh

May 23, 2013, 3:00 pm

In response to Toronto

"Explain to me how this will bring more money?"

They don't have to bring in more money to make more money, they just have to pay out less of what they bring in and by upping the odds and elimination 0+1 payouts of $2 they will accomplish that.

DC81

May 23, 2013, 3:12 pm