VIDEO: Lead Director of Mega Millions discusses potential game changes

Comment #35

GrammaDot — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 01:23:17 GMT

I think less people will buy several tickets if any, if they increase the price to $5.00. I remember thinking...they're not going to stop, once they get started after they increased the price to $2.00 and added the megaplier. Looks like I'm right.

Comment #34

KY Floyd — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 06:18:05 GMT

$5 tickets are a great way to produce billion dollar jackpots, because if the prize ratios remain the same that will be equivalent to a $400 million jackpot with a $2 ticket. The big mystery is how long it will take to sell enough tickets, because only the addicts and the exceptionally stupid are going to spend $5 for a 1 in 300 million chance of winning a jackpot of $20 or $50 million.

Of course the only thing the lottery actually cares about is how much revenue they can generate. If they ca... [ More ]

Comment #33

Rexer90 — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 04:39:30 GMT

$5 a play?? LMFAO!! How to kill the game in one move.

Comment #32

rundown99 — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 19:55:31 GMT

After the price of tickets rose to $2 around eleven years ago and the odds were even more difficult, I actually went through years without playing Powerball and Mega Millions. I now only play once in a while but I buy large number of tickets a few times a year. I would no longer play Mega Millions if they charge $5 a ticket.

Comment #31

Monopoly318 — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 17:05:54 GMT

Why not up the lower prizes a little.

Comment #30

weshar75 — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 02:14:20 GMT

I will play my state lotto if mega and power raise prices again and only play when it is near a billion for the minimum amount to get the ticket. I like to play mega and power and oregon megabucks year round but if the odds go any higher or cost goes up they can count me out and just stick to my state lotto.-weshar75

Comment #29

righttimehitt — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 01:56:51 GMT

Less numbers in Powerball and Mega Millions.

Comment #28

Stack47 — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 00:16:30 GMT

Not unusual to see $400 or more worth of discarded scratch-offs on the counter with the ticket scanner that where $10, $20, and some $30 denominations. Many state lotteries are using the if you sell it, they will buy it logic and some might have recommended raising MM ticket prices. MM has the buy two tickets for $3 jackpot only option and the Megaplier so many players are buying $3 tickets.

With five drawings a week and $2 a ticket, players are at a minimum spending $10 a week for a chance

Comment #27

djphin — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 21:37:28 GMT

I played lotteries in this country for 40 plus years and simply don't really trust them. For McDonald to say the lottery lost sales or money is not true. They dropped the min amounts for their profits. Let's face it, this State system which almost of the states are members is a form of Voluntary tax paid for by all the Regular people just getting by. The state always has a cash flow of revenue that is always suspect as to where the money goes. Then to add to the issue if some person wins a large... [ More ]

Comment #26

Ranett — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 11:40:48 GMT

Nope it never is. Whenever these lotteries make changes to the game it's usually for the worse from the player standpoint. Higher ticket prices, smaller payouts, increased odds or smaller rollovers and so on.

Comment #25

Bleudog101 — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 10:46:31 GMT

I know what MUSL can do. Hire Eddie Tipton as a consultant. Have him change MM to CNG. That would save televised drawings and get rid of those awful mechanical ball drawings. Insert sarcasm.

OTOH for something that HAS affected me in the past. Congress may entertain raising the taxable amount of slot winnings from $1200 to $5000. More Congress folks have come on board saying this will keep up with inflation. What ever that is supposed to mean. (A few years ago the IRS wanted to change it down... [ More ]

Comment #24

Think — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 01:07:38 GMT

Well if they keep the game the way it is now then $5 would keep me from playing it but I have not seen the proposed $5 game and prize structure. It may be something completely worthwhile...you just never know until you see what they are planning.

I would welcome a really good $5 game as it could be a great game that would allow me to concentrate on it alone while not ever playing the crappier games. I won't pee on the $5 parade until I can see what the actual proposal is.

I for one a... [ More ]

Comment #23

Think — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 00:58:47 GMT

Well that is close but you just described what would be wrong with a million dollar prize...Inflation!!! I sure would like to see way more 5+0 prizes but with inflation they should be 2 million dollars now. If I won a million dollars, before taxes, I could not even buy a brand new house here and furnish it

Comment #22

Droptop209 — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 21:02:21 GMT

Wow either play 5 bucks for american MM game or play 2 bucks and have foreigner win USA games money (PB) No game change is ever good for the player.

Comment #21

cottoneyedjoe — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 20:20:37 GMT

The compulsive gamblers who are the lottery's bread and butter will play MM and PB at any price, but shouldn't the lottery be trying to draw in new players, or entice casual players to play a little more often? These old folks who can't bear to miss a drawing will die off eventually and I don't see the younger generation currently too excited about a $2 bad bet, let alone a $5 bad bet.

Comment #20

Perfecttiming2 — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 20:11:53 GMT

They won't consider going back to a $40m starting jackpot....but they have considered upping the cost to $5 for a ticket...

Comment #19

Stat$talker — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 19:52:48 GMT

And revise the payout structure to higher pay prize.

Example4 numbers plus mega. 100k. Instead of 10k.

They've already revised it,.. more in THEIR favor..4 white ballz plus the Gold Megaball USE to pay $50,000..naah it payz $10,000..and on top of such an insult, they raised the ticket price..and RENEGED on their promise of a $40 Million startin Jackpot.

The epitome of GREED ARROGANCE CORRUPTION..!!

They're about to find out just how dumb THEY are, thinking that we Playerz will accep... [ More ]

Comment #18

redaxe — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 19:07:57 GMT

Just the Jackpot - 2 plays for a dollar!

Match 5 or nothing - Win a million - 2 plays for a dollar!

Sales would skyrocket.

Comment #17

TheGameGrl — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 18:38:09 GMT

They are choosing the lesser of two evils.

Neither of those threats ( to increase, or to keep the lower grand prize pot ) are in favor of the player.

Each of those ' notions' favor the mega million states and agency.

They really need to do the ' right thing'.

Bring the jackpot back to the 40million start.

And revise the payout structure to higher pay prize.

Example4 numbers plus mega. 100k. Instead of 10k.

Have a weekly 2nd chance draw during the weeks no one... [ More ]

Comment #16

hearsetrax — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 15:54:31 GMT

I might just quit playing

Comment #15

Artist77 — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 11:56:39 GMT

I agree 110% about making the lower prizes easier to win and especially increasing the 2nd place number of winners. Raising the amount per ticket or adding extra money to pay for some sort of remote additional chance would not work. Someone winning a million or 2 once a week would draw in sales.

Comment #14

hlamb — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 10:37:50 GMT

MM are GREEDY and FULL of MULARKY. The guy said the sales bounced back rather quickly after the initial drop to returning to normalcy even breaking records in some states so how is it they feel it would be rushing to change the starting jackpots back to $40 million with minimum increases ? HOGWASH

Comment #13

hlamb — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 10:28:43 GMT

Exactamundo

Comment #12

hlamb — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 10:27:12 GMT

Exactly

Comment #11

hlamb — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 10:26:39 GMT

I agree. Raising prices to $5 is just greedy and stupid with the odds and starting jackpots.

Comment #10

sully16 — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 10:08:35 GMT

Have no intentions of spending 5 bucks, will play Michigan games like fantasy 5 or even Keno.

Comment #9

CDanaT — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 04:25:24 GMT

$5 a play ?? Really ? Well bless your greedy lil hearts. You will no longer have to concern many players until that jackpot hits $500-700 Million, including this participant. Here's a thought...Go back to the ole dollar and a dream motto...That will be different from the PB and draw much more loyalty.

Comment #8

Stat$talker — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 02:23:55 GMT

Hell, based in their previously RENEGED werd, why should we Playerz believe that THEY'LL keep their unbondable claimz THIS TIME?..

Notice the HUGE lie, saying playerz want an increase in ticket prices.. ..NOOO, We want you YOU to keep yo daammn PREVIOUSLY PROMISED werd..duuhh.. Stop rigging drawingz, then I for one, will start vouchin for ya.. but NOT UNTIL THEN..!!

Raising the price of ticketz izn't the answer to their short windfallz.. a new attitude of HONESTY will probably help most..... [ More ]

Comment #7

david1691 — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 01:35:52 GMT

From a $2 price point to a $5 price point. I guess some don't recall the Monopoly Millionaire Club game, which was $5 per ticket. The game didn't last too long. If Mega Millions wants to charge a mega price of $5 per ticket, it'll be the beginning of the end for this game. Go back to the drawing board and listen to what the players want.

Comment #6

grwurston — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 01:10:09 GMT

If they go to $5 a ticket, does that mean it will now be $6 or $7 if you want the megaplier? I think that will hurt sales a lot.

They do need to reduce the matrix to make it easier so there can be more winners. Everybody says they want bigger jackpots or, I won't play till it reaches 500 mill. But if someone was winning 100 mill every 3rd or 4th drawing I don't know anyone that would turn it down if they won it.

Comment #5

rcbbuckeye — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 00:50:12 GMT

The main reason I play PB and MM is that a million would be fine for me at my age, and the odds of hitting 5+0 are roughly half of the odds of my state lotto game.

However, the minute tickets cost $5 is the minute I stop buying tickets.

Comment #4

jackpotismine — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 00:42:28 GMT

Raising ticket prices is not the answer. With gas prices and inflation that's the wrong direction. The right direction is making it easier to win a million dollars. I'm sure that the average player would be happy to win that tax-free.

Comment #3

bigbuckswede — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 22:35:52 GMT

With that silly/stupid conclusion why not sell tickets at $10, $20, wait $100? It will raise jp which is what all players want

Comment #2

andl — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 22:21:27 GMT

Mega should offer a 1 million dollar prize each drawing for the tickets purchased. Also, add 1 more Mega ball like Euro Millions and increase the lower tier prizes. This way more prizes are won each drawing and the jackpots could potentially reach 2 billion +.

Comment #1

Think — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 22:14:06 GMT

I have been suggesting, for years, that players be offered 1. A bigaplier for the 5+0 prize 2. A smallaplier for the 4+1 and lower pirzes and 3. A Bonus Option to play for a higher Jackpot or even a second jackpot.

There must be practical reasons why Mega Millions does not consider this but I have never had anyone tell me why they can't offer the players these kinds of choices to allow the players to go for higher prizes on any or all tiers the player wants to try for.

You want to bu... [ More ]

VIDEO: Lead Director of Mega Millions discusses potential game changes

Lottery Post — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 21:11:35 GMT

LOTTERY POST EXCLUSIVE

By Kate Northrop

Thursday, Lottery Post had the opportunity to speak with Mega Millions Lead Director Pat McDonald discuss some of the most common questions players are asking about the multi-state game.

In an exclusive interview with Lottery Post, McDonald also revealed that the game group is investigating potential ways to switch up the nationwide draw game.

Part of McDonald's responsibilities as Lead Director includes heading up any changes and managem... [ More ]