Mega Millions is changing: 7 things to know before April's price change, game overhaul

(NEXSTAR) — Frequently play the Mega Millions? The national lottery jackpot game is about to be overhauled with the promise of bigger prizes, better odds and faster-growing jackpots — if you don't mind paying a higher ticket price.

Mega Millions officials confirmed the pending changes in October, saying they would take effect in April. Now, we know what those changes entail.

“Beyond big jackpots, players told us they want bigger non-jackpot prizes, and that’s exactly what this new game delivers,” Joshua Johnston, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a press release shared with Nexstar on Tuesday.

Here's what will soon be changing and what happens to the current Mega Millions jackpot that is building.

When do the new changes start?

The final drawing of the game's current iteration will be on Friday, April 4, which means the first drawing of the new prize structure will be on Tuesday, April 8, at 11 p.m. ET.

If you win any non-jackpot Mega Millions prize in the April 4 drawing, you'll receive the current payout prize, not the new payouts taking effect on April 8. More on those prizes, and the current jackpot, in a moment.

How are the odds improving?

Currently, your odds of winning any of the nine Mega Millions payouts are 1 in 24. Under the new game structure, your odds will improve slightly to 1 in 23. This is due to the removal of one gold Mega Ball — there are 25 gold balls right now, but 24 under the new game structure.

Your odds of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot are also improving. Today, your odds are roughly 1 in 302.58 million. With the changes, your odds become 1 in 290,472,336. This is again due to having one less Mega Ball, game officials said.

What about the Megaplier and Just the Jackpot?

Some states offered players the Just the Jackpot option. For $3, a player would receive two plays for only the jackpot, not all nine available prizes. This option is being retired.

Also retiring is the Megaplier, a feature available in some states for an additional $1 that could increase your non-jackpot payout. It is becoming a built-in random multiplier.

"Every non-jackpot win will multiply its base prize by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X automatically," game officials said Tuesday. This also expands the range of payouts. Instead of $2 to $1 million, the current non-jackpot prize range, the Mega Millions will have payouts between $10 to $10 million.

You can see the new prizes below compared to the current payouts:

With the changes, Mega Millions players will be able to "win more than the cost to play" — but we'll get to that.

How are Mega Millions jackpots changing?

Officials have said the overhaul of Mega Millions will lead to faster-growing pots that become larger more frequently.

Mega Millions jackpots will start at $50 million, well up from the current starting point of $20 million. This, combined with rising ticket prices, is expected to lead to even more enticing jackpots for players.

How much will it cost to play?

Right now, one line of Mega Millions numbers will set you back $2, plus an additional $1 if you opt for the Megaplier.

When the new game changes arrive in April, the same line will cost you $5. But, as game officials note, the new minimum non-jackpot prize is $10, five times that of the current minimum prize of $2.

"This is only the game’s second price adjustment since the first ticket was sold more than 20 years ago and the first change since the current game matrix was adopted in 2017," Mega Millions officials said Tuesday.

What about the current jackpot?

As of Tuesday, the Mega Millions jackpot sits at an estimated $344 million with a cash option of $161.5 million. If the jackpot is not won during the April 4 drawing, it will be rolled into the new game, officials say.

What else should you know?

Mega Millions will still be available in the current 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings will still be held at 11 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the profits each local lottery receives will still benefit the causes they have always benefitted, unless local jurisdictions make changes.

The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET.