Mega Millions sales down 24% in Massachusetts, one year after format switch made tickets more expensive
Mega Millions sales are down 24% in Massachusetts in the year since the multistate game made significant changes to its format, and the Lottery is blaming lower-than-expected jackpots.
In April of 2025, Mega Millions ticket prices jumped from $2 to $5. One of the Mega Balls was taken away to make the astronomical odds of winning the jackpot slightly better, and the minimum prize amount a player could win was increased to $10.
Data shared with WBZ-TV by the Massachusetts State Lottery shows Mega Millions sales between April 8, 2024 and April 4, 2025 totaled $111,265,602. After the new format was implemented, total sales were $85,006,745 between April 5, 2025 and April 4, 2026.
Big jackpots drive sales, lottery says
When touting the new Mega Millions "enhancements," last year, the Lottery said "Jackpots are expected to grow faster and get to higher dollar amounts more frequently in the new game."
That hasn't panned out so far with the new game. The Mega Millions Consortium had estimated that the average jackpot would be more than $800 million, but that only happened once in the past year when the top prize hit $980 million in November.
"The single most important factor in Mega Millions sales is the size of the jackpot," Massachusetts State Lottery Executive Director Mark William Bracken said in a statement to WBZ-TV. "Since the introduction of the new game matrix, the Mega Millions jackpot has yet to reach $1 billion, which is where we typically see a significant increase in sales."
The Mega Millions jackpot was last won in March at $60 million. It's up to an estimated $120 million for Tuesday's drawing.
The Lottery sends hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to Massachusetts cities and towns every year. Bracken's most recent report said overall Lottery sales were down $33 million through the first eight months of Fiscal Year 2026 compared to 2025.
Mega Millions players winning slightly more money
While sales are down, Mega Millions players who are paying more than double what they used to per ticket have won slightly more money.
The prize amount won over the past year is $15,142,211, up 6% from the previous year. Non-jackpot prizes now range from $10 to $10 million vs. $2 to $1 million in the old game. No Massachusetts Mega Millions player has won a prize greater than $100,000 since 2024, however.
"While sales have been lower, the enhancements to the Mega Millions prize structure have resulted in more lower-tier prize wins for our players," Bracken said. "Ultimately, the game's profitability will continue to be determined by the frequency of larger jackpots."
