Come this fall, winning the multi-state Mega Millions lottery jackpot will become even more difficult in the 45 states and jurisdictions that offer the lotto game.
The consortium that operates Mega Millions is upping the odds to 1 in about 258.9 million that someone picks all six numbers right.
The current odds are 1 in about 175.7 million that a person correctly chooses five of 56 numbered white balls and one of 46 gold balls.
The odds will change under a new format for the Oct. 22 drawing. Players will choose five of 75 white balls and one of 15 gold balls.
For comparison, the odds of winning either Powerball or Mega Millions are about the same right now. Powerball is 1 in about 175.2 million.
The goal is to increase sales. Making winning more difficult might seem counter-intuitive to selling more tickets, but big jackpots drive sales.
"The idea is not to keep more money but to raise more money," South Dakota Lottery Commission lottery director Norm Lingle told commissioners. "Unfortunately, the way to make jackpots grow bigger is to make it more difficult to win," he said.
South Dakota and several other states were back-doored into selling Mega Millions in 2010. A national deal reached between Powerball states and Mega Millions states resulted in all of them selling both games. South Dakota was a Powerball state.
The changes coming for Mega Millions will keep the overall odds of winning some prize at 1 in 40, according to Joe Willingham, who oversees sales of lotto and instant ticket games for the South Dakota Lottery.
He said smaller prizes will become easier to win.
The proof of a big jackpot's attraction came in late November 2012 as the Mega Millions top prize surpassed $660 million.
South Dakota sales spiked to $2.4 million and plunged back to the $500,000 neighborhood after the jackpot was won.
"We got an extra million in sales just out of that one draw," Willingham said.
Fifty cents from each dollar spent by Mega Millions players in South Dakota goes to the Mega Millions organization for prizes and administration.
The South Dakota Lottery keeps the other 50 cents to pay retailer commissions and expenses, with profits used for specific purposes of state government.
South Dakota already offered four lotto games — Powerball, Hot Lotto, Wild Card 2 and Dakota Cash — when Mega Millions was added.
As to some commission members wondering whether South Dakota has to accept the change in Mega Millions odds, Willingham said, "We're part of this, or we can't have the game."
Profits from sales of all five lotto games totaled $9.4 million for the 2012 fiscal year that ended June 30, 2012.
Lotto sales through 44 weeks of the 2013 fiscal year stood at $26.17 million. They were at $24.02 million at the 44-week mark a year ago.
Oh great.... now it's going to be more difficult than getting struck by lightning while getting eaten by a shark.
The new changes will make it so hard you will have to get struck by lightning while getting eaten by a shark while downhill skiing naked.
At least we can buy tickets now in FL
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.
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.
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?
I agree. That's the ONLY way.
how greedy can they get? i guess there is no limit to greed. everybody should boycott this because that is terrible odds.
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.
Boycott time...
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.
^^^
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.
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
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.
Wow! Florida players finally get Mega Millions and then they decide to make the game harder. It may be time for all players to return to playing their state lotteries only. A Dollar and A Dream.
oK
Probably thinking" We can make these odds as high as we want too, you folk will follow"
Just thinking that myself this morning. I can retire on Texas Lotto if I'm ever lucky enough to hit that. Odds are 26 million to 1.
Yeah, but they screwed that one up, too.
However, not as bad as they are screwing up MM.
thanks, you are right, they target people that are not gamblers, i don,t play the PB. more,
now i want be playing the MM. IT RIP OFF,
Can't win MM now as it is, After OCT, won't be playing anyways. Odds are going to be against us!
I remember when the starting jackpot in Florida was 7 million and that was with 1 drawing per week. Now it takes 2 weeks to get to 7 million. Still better odds then PB or MM. I'll just stick to my MegaMoney.
I have a feeling this decision was just recently made. I truly believe mm was threatened by pb coming close to taking down their record jackpot. I really believe they wanna become the world's first lottery to hold a one billion jackpot and enjoy the publicity that comes with it. Look folks if not for that one ticket in Florida, pb would have become the holder of the worlds first billion dollar jackpot. And we would all be emptying out our bank accounts for a chance at it. Lol.
"The idea is not to keep more money but to raise more money,"
This statement sounds deceptive considering, the more they "raise" the more they keep.
You say "jump" I say "how high"?
"Players will choose five of 75 white balls and one of 15 gold balls. " and "The changes coming for Mega Millions will keep the overall odds of winning some prize at 1 in 40,"
The odds of matching one of the bonus numbers is 14 to 1 and to keep the overall odds at 40 to 1 means there will be no payoff for matching the bonus number. The odds of matching 5 + 0 will be 17,259,390 which is higher than a 6/49 lotto game.
The only thing that might make it worthwhile playing this game is when the jackpot reaches the buying frenzy point, but who knows how long that will take. I guess the idea is for a small group of players to contribute every week until the jackpot reaches the "must win" level and then the majority of the players will start buying tickets.
Do the players really want to have one $590 million winner or 12 $50million winners because with these odds, there won't be many split jackpots?
This is a terrible, terrible idea and is likely to backfire. How are you going to get to bigger jackpots when players now know that their chances of winning the jackpot (which was already much too improbable) has now unbelievably gotten even more improbable. You are going from an outrageous 1 in 175.7 mil to an even more outrageous 1 in 258.9 mil. Where I used to play twice per week, I am now likely to play once per week. Where I used to buy two tickets, I am now likely to buy just one ticket. With the new even more impossible odds, all you have done is finally convinced me that I should now play less or not play at all. You are undoubtedly going to turn people away from the game.
I seriously doubt that a core group will want to contribute draw after draw so that someone (like boney) can come along and spend $10. and win a huge jackpot once or twice a year.
They would be BETTER served by lowering the odds (5/50 + 1/45) and charging $4. per line.
That would be $20. for a 5 line card and even more people would start playing.
Isn't raising more money the same as keeping more money?
Their bottom line is making money.
What makes me sick is the frenzy that goes along with jp's that rise to
impossible amounts. Everyone wants a piece which is natural but not
everyone can afford what they spend to chase a dream. 1/258M odds?
I'll bet most people won't even know what that means for the 5, 10 or
100 block of plays they purchase.
This change was made to create record selling days leading up to a huge
jp draw night. Honestly they should be ashamed of themselves but the
reason shame is not an issue is there is a big payout to be won and
someone will win it...eventually. That erases all responsibility and guilt
and makes the reality of what they're doing easy to ignore.
Their goal is big profits, they don't care whose dollar is funding the pot.
This move makes them predators...not beneficiaries.
Raising the odds without raising the price is just plain stupid. If they want to increase revenue they should offer shared jackpots. For a price.
This should finish off the killing of this game.
Dear Mega Millions,
Enclosed is $2 that I was going to play on MM but I decided why not skip the formality of playing and just send the money in.
I do want to thank you though for giving me Pick 3 and 4 numbers,
258
2589
7515.
__________________________________________________
LP members,
Remember the threads about at what point would you stop playing a game, what size matrix, what price?
Some people said, "Never, I'll play no matter what".
Think this board isn't monitored by lottery officials?
Well it looks like I will be sticking with the Super Lotto Plus and its 1 in 42,000,000 odds.
It will only work to make jackpots larger if people keep playing. When average amount players realize they CANNOT really win, they will sit on the siedlines and wait. So yes the jackpot will grow, however it will take longer to get there because fewer people will be playing early in the game...
Right, and after waiting a year for the jackpot to grow it will be a yawner.
Agreed. People are now likely to play less frequently and likely to purchase less tickets so it would definitely take a long, long time for the jackpot to grow to a "huge" amount. Most people would prefer having the more frequent opportunity to win "smaller" jackpots, albeit with crazy odds, than waiting around for a very, very long time for "huge" jackpots with far, far more impossible odds at winning. What a terrible, terrible idea!
Okay, so kill the dream and take the money.
I was never a fan of huge jackpot frenzies, but it gets none players to try their hand because the saw it on the news.
It wouldn't be any fun trying to track numbers to play. But I am a sucker too, I'll wait for the impossible huge jackpots.
Huge jackpots are the big draw. No doubt about that. But higher odds only ensures that NO ONE will win for a very long time. Have players pay more AND offering a shared jackpot (for a price) would solve both issues.