Do Mega Millions Jackpots Keep Rising After Each Rollover? Check Out!

Understanding the Changes in Mega Millions

If you've been playing the lottery for a while, you might have noticed some changes in the Mega Millions game. In April, significant updates were implemented, including an increase in ticket prices for the first time since 2017. These changes were aimed at improving the overall player experience by offering larger non-jackpot prizes and better odds of winning.

Joshua Johnston, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, highlighted that players wanted bigger non-jackpot prizes, which the new game delivers. According to him, non-jackpot prizes at every level are now up to 10 times higher than before. However, despite these improvements, the Mega Millions jackpots haven't consistently grown as expected. In fact, they’ve been lower and rolling over slower compared to last year, according to reports from the USA TODAY Network.

The way jackpots roll over is based on projected ticket sales for the next two drawings. A check online shows that during the current streak, the jackpot increased by the same amount for the first 10 rollovers. Similarly, during the previous streak, the first six rollovers also saw the same increase. This pattern has raised questions about whether it's a result of the new rules or simply a coincidence.

What Changed for Mega Millions?

The major changes introduced in April include better odds due to the removal of one lottery ball (now 24 instead of 25) and an increase in ticket prices to $5. Additionally, the minimum prize won is now $10, making every ticket purchase potentially more rewarding.

Here’s what we know about how Mega Millions jackpots are estimated:

According to the Mega Millions website, the consortium meets every Tuesday and Friday to determine the estimated jackpots for the next two drawings. The amount the jackpot rolls over depends on how many tickets are sold. Sales forecasts help estimate the number of tickets sold for the next two drawings, which in turn affects the estimated cash value and annuity values of the jackpots. The annuity value is based on the 30-year U.S. Treasuries rate, which can change daily.

In the past, jackpots rolled over at varying amounts depending on ticket sales predictions. However, for the current streak, the first 10 rollovers increased the jackpot by exactly $10 million each time. The eleventh rollover broke this pattern with a $16 million increase. Similarly, in the previous streak, the first six rollovers also saw a $10 million increase, with the seventh breaking the trend at $12 million.

The Largest Mega Millions Jackpot in 2025

Players for both Mega Millions and Powerball have seen jackpots reach $800 million or more in recent years. However, since the changes in April, there have been no jackpots larger than $400 million. The largest Mega Millions jackpot in 2025 was won on March 25 when a ticket purchased in Illinois matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win $344 million. Final ticket sales pushed that total to $349 million.

In 2023, both Powerball and Mega Millions saw several streaks that led to billion-dollar jackpots. That year, there were four grand prizes that reached or surpassed $1 billion. In 2024, there were three sets of rollovers that eventually led to a $1 billion windfall. So far in 2025, there have been no Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots that have reached $1 billion. The closest was Powerball’s $449 million draw on August 6, 2025.

The record for the largest lottery win in U.S. history remains the $2.04 billion Powerball draw from November 2022, won by Edwin Castro of Altadena, California.

When Was the Last Mega Millions Jackpot Won?

The Mega Millions jackpot was last won on June 27 when a ticket in Virginia matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball to win almost $350 million. It took just over two months—from April 22 with a starting jackpot of $50 million to June 27 for $348 million—to reach that amount, with the first six rollovers increasing the jackpot by $10 million each time.

The Latest Changes to Mega Millions

Here are the key changes that took effect in April 2025:

• Bigger Starting Jackpots: After a jackpot is won, the new one resets to $50 million instead of $20 million and is expected to grow more quickly.
• Better Odds: The game now features 24 Mega Balls instead of 25, improving the overall odds of winning any prize to 1 out of 23.
• Automatic Multipliers: All tickets come with a built-in multiplier that randomly increases your prize by 2X to 10X.
• Ticket Prices Increased: Tickets now cost $5 per play, more than double the previous price of $2.
• Guaranteed Winnings: Every ticket includes a multiplier of at least 2X, ensuring players always win more than the cost of the ticket.