Monks, Iowa – Mega million players will get Slightly better probabilities and should start seeing more Boats of one billion dollarsBut at a cost, literally, with tickets for the multiestatal lottery that jumps in price at $ 5.
The price of playing mega million more that doubled for drawings that begin with Tuesday
“People I really want big boats“Said Joshua Johnston, director of the Washington state lottery that runs the Mega Millions game.” We hope to see a sales elevator in this. “
The greatest change is the increase in the price of the ticket from $ 2 to $ 5. Lottery officials hope that jumping to increase the income of the game twice a week, which allows them Improve probabilities to win the major award from 1 to 303 million to 1 in 290 million.
The highest price of the ticket also means that Jackpot can start at $ 50 million, instead of the previous $ 20 million, and that the Grand Prix is expected to grow faster. Every time there is no A great winnerThe main prize will jump for a greater amount. Officials expect it to exceed the threshold of $ 1 billion more frequently that attracts additional attention and larger sales.
According to the new rules, the awards for tickets that do not coincide with the six numbers will also increase, with non -jackpot winners now guaranteed at least $ 10. Each ticket will also include a randomly assigned multiplier that can increase the prize up to 10 times, a previous complement function that costs an additional $ 1. The multiplier does not apply to a major award.
The new rules have two main objectives: address what the industry calls “boat fatigue” and differentiate Powerball Millions, the other lottery raffle game played throughout the country.
The fatigue of the main prize is the phenomenon under which the awards must grow to huge amounts before most players take note and buy some tickets. These days, an award of $ 300 million that once drew lines in Mini-Marts is barely registered.
With the new rules, officials expect those average winning boats to rise from approximately $ 450 million to $ 800 million, Johnston said. And they believe that even the lottery fatigue is not rival for the most frequent prize of one billion dollars.
“When you reach one billion people are like ‘Whoa, that’s a lot of money,” said Johnston.
Lottery officials said there is a clear correlation between the largest boats and the highest sales, but not all who play are influenced by the largest pots.
Sandie Yeaman, from Omaha, Nebraska, expressed its perplexity in the connection.
“I would be satisfied with $ 1 million, and others too,” he said. “A person who won $ 50 million is ridiculous.”
Mega Millions will be the most expensive lottery raffle game in the country, where random numbers are selected to determine a winner.
Even so, that price is much less than scratch tickets offered by some states. In Texas, for example, some scratch tickets cost $ 100 each.
Outside the United States, El Gordo’s Christmas lottery in Spain limits the number of tickets sold and charges 20 euros (almost $ 22) for a partial ticket and 200 euros (almost $ 220) for a complete ticket.
The highest price of Mega Millions left Saeedith Williams, from East Point, Georgia, is not sure if he will continue to buy several tickets per week. “Maybe buy a ticket per week now that it costs $ 5 per ticket,” he said.
After implementing the new rules, the two lottery games that were once remarkably similar will now have some key differences.
The biggest contrast will be the cost, since Powerball will remain with its $ 2 tickets: $ 3 in Idaho and Montana, where they require a special awards package.
With that smallest ticket price, smaller minimum awards will come, from $ 4, or less than half of the lowest Mega Millions award. But Powerball players can still pay an extra dollar for “Power Play”, a random multiplier that, as in Mega Millions, can all increase the Grand Prix.
Powerball’s drawings will continue to be three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night, while Mega Millions will celebrate drawings on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The changes will bring the probabilities of the two games of the two games, with probabilities of Powerball Jackpot of 1 in 292.2 million a little worse than the new probabilities of Mega Millions.
For players, it is an opportunity to spend some money on an incredible dream of wealth and recognize the reality that almost certainly will not happen.
For the 45 most Washington states, DC and the Virgin Islands of the United States where Mega Millions is played, the game collects money for a variety of services, such as educational scholarships. Local lottery agencies direct the game in each jurisdiction and decisions on how profits are written in state law.
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Associated Press Margery A. Beck’s writer contributed from Omaha, Nebraska.
