(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Lottery Commission has signed off on major changes to the multi-state Mega Millions game slated to begin in April. Lottery C-E-O Matt Strawn says the changes are designed to draw more players. “The Mega Millions Consortium, which is a group of states that actually governs the Mega Millions game, thoroughly researched and designed these changes to provide a variety of options new excitement and the large grand prize jackpot amounts that players in research say is necessary for those premier lotto games today,” Strawn says. The cost of Mega Millions ticket will go from two to five dollars, with the promise of a bigger payout.

“The Mega Millions starting jackpot will more than double to 50 million dollars and with the redesign, the grand prize jackpot will grow faster and produce more frequent to billion dollar plus jackpots,” he says. Strawn says all levels of prizes will increase. “There will no longer be any break even prices, so the smallest prize in the revamped game will be doubling your ticket price. So ten dollars, twice the purchase price,”Strawn says. Players now have to pay an extra dollar for the multiplier that increases the jackpot. Strawn says the multiplier now comes automatically with every ticket and will randomly increase your winnings from two up to ten times. Your the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot will improve.

“Dropping from about one in 303 million to about one in 290 million,” he says. “And correspondingly, the overall odds of winning any prize in the game will also improve. “The first drawing of the reconfigured  Mega Millions game is set for Tuesday, April 8th 2025.

Iowa is one of 44 states along with the District of Columbia and the U-S Virgin Islands which sell Mega Millions. The game is 20 years old, but Iowa didn’t start selling it until 2010.