Mega Millions jackpots and the odds of winning big will grow starting April 5, as the national lottery rolls out pricier tickets in Colorado and other participating states.
Lottery players will soon pay $5 rather than $2 for a ticket — just the second price increase in the 22-year-old game’s history and the first since current rules were adopted in 2017, according to a news release from Colorado Lottery.
Jackpots will start at $50 million, up from $20 million, and the odds of buying a winning ticket will increase from about one in 302 million to one in 290 million.
“We are excited to bring even more chances to win to Coloradans in April,” Colorado Lottery senior director Tom Seaver said in the release. “The state has seen plenty of Mega Millions winners, but we are still waiting to have our own top prize winner. As national jackpots grow, so do the proceeds (that) the lottery gives back to beautiful Colorado.”
Mega Millions players pick five different numbers between one and 70, plus a “Mega Ball” number between one and 25. Winning the jackpot requires players to guess all six numbers correctly, and for $1 more, they can guess a “Megaplier” number between two and five, which is drawn separately and multiplies the value of non-jackpot prizes.
Colorado has produced five $1 million Mega Millions winners since 2010. Including Megaplier winners, the state has seen six people win $1 million, two win $2 million and three win $4 million, according to Colorado Lottery.
The Megaplier will be replaced by a randomly-assigned multiplier between two and 10 starting in April. Prizes worth less than the cost of a ticket will also be eliminated.
Seaver said in the release that more than 38% of every dollar spent on tickets returns to the state, which uses lottery proceeds to support parks, trails, open spaces and recreation projects.
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