Michigan: A Very Popular Lottery Ticket Will Soon Cost You a Lot More

It's always nice to dream of winning the lottery, but the price of a very popular lottery ticket here in Michigan will soon cost you more than double.

Beginning with the April 8 drawing, a Mega Millions ticket will cost you $5 per play. That's up from just $2 per ticket now.

Mega Millions Mega Overhaul

The lottery says the new higher price will bring a 'mega' overhaul to the game. The changes will soon include larger starting jackpots and increased odds to win the jackpot.

Joshua Johnston is the Mega Millions consortium lead director. He said in a statement that the changes are intended to excite current Mega Millions players and attract new ones.

"We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, meaning creating more billionaires and many more millionaires as the jackpots climb," Johnston said.

Every Mega Millions Ticket Will Now Have a Multiplier

Currently, Mega Millions players have the 'option' to add a multiplier. However, with the new format, each ticket will automatically include a multiplier, improving every non-jackpot win by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X, up to $10 million for matching the five white balls.

Lottery officials say they'll be reducing the numbers from which players can choose from 25 to 24. This change is supposed to improve the odds of winning the jackpot and other prizes.

The new price goes into effect on April 8.

What States Play the Mega Millions Jackpot?

The Mega Millions jackpot is played in 45 US states as well as Washington DC, and the US Virgin Islands. States that do not participate are Nevada, Utah, Alabama, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Michigan is considering legislation that would allow residents who win multi-state jackpots to remain anonymous.