Players Won 5X More in First Drawing of New Mega Millions Game Than They Would Have Under Old Prize Matrix

In April 8 drawing, players took home $3.4 million more in prizes thanks to new built-in 2X-10X non-jackpot multiplier, showing the value of the new game beyond bigger jackpots

OLYMPIA, Wash. (April 9, 2025) – The value of the new version of Mega Millions® and its ability to increase prizes was on full display during its first drawing under the game’s new prize matrix last night, April 8, 2025, with players taking home five times the value in prizes – more than $3.4 million more – than they would have under the old game matrix.

Now with a built-in multiplier that improves all winning non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X, 217,904 winners nationwide across the eight different non-jackpot prize tiers took home $4.3 million in total prizes vs. the $840,628 they would have taken home under the old game matrix* for just the April 8 drawing.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled for our players and for how the new game is being received,” said Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium. “As players are coming into grocery stores, convenience stores, and lottery offices today to collect prizes that are two, three, four, five and ten times what they’ve seen in the past, it’s putting a smile on their faces, because that’s real, everyday money to most people. This is why the game change matters; it’s providing value to our players at every prize level and at every drawing.”

Here is a summary of the prizes awarded in last night’s drawing:

Match	Winners	New Game Prize Total	Old Game Prize Total
5 white balls	0	$0	$0
4 white + Mega Ball	5	$100,000	$50,000
4 white balls	125	$195,000	$62,500
3 white + Mega Ball	295	$187,600	$59,000
3 white balls	7,631	$227,530	$76,310
2 white + Mega Ball	7,135	$214,840	$71,350
1 white + Mega Ball	58,021	$1,221,059	$232,084
Mega Ball	144,692	$2,176,570	$289,384
TOTAL	217,904	$4,322,599	$840,628

* New game prize totals are calculated based on the number of winners at each prize level and each multiplier value ((2X, 3X, 4X, 5X and 10X), combined with the prize value of each of those subsets. Old game prize totals are calculated based on the number of winners at each prize level and the base prize payout under the old matrix.

Compared to the old game, the new Mega Millions features bigger prizes at every non-jackpot prize tier, improved odds to win the jackpot, better odds overall, a larger starting jackpot, faster-growing jackpots, and no break-even prizes. Prizes in the new game range from $10 to $10 million vs. the $2 to $1 million in the old game. A full prize matrix is available here.

With higher value prizes embedded throughout every tier of the game, tickets for the new Mega Millions game now cost $5 per play. This is only the game’s second price adjustment since the first ticket was sold more than 20 years ago.

“It’s also important to remember that launching the new Mega Millions is the culmination of three years’ worth of work and coordination across 47 jurisdictions, and it’s intended to be a fun game that give players a chance to escape and dream,” said Johnston. “We recognize that in today’s economic climate, players may be feeling unsettled about the price of everyday goods. Mega Millions is about entertainment, and players should always make sure their basic needs are met before purchasing a lottery ticket.”

Since Mega Millions launched in 2002, it has produced seven winners of billion-dollar jackpots, all in different states. Since the last game change in 2017 more than 1,200 players have become millionaires, an average of three millionaires per week.

Mega Millions is a national game with tickets sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Lottery profits support a wide variety of good causes and are allocated differently in each jurisdiction.