The Price of a Mega Millions Ticket is Going Up in New England

New England states love playing the lottery. Who doesn't want to win life-changing money in the millions? As the saying goes, "You can't win if you don't play." But playing is about to get more expensive for one popular lottery drawing.

The lottery is big money for  45 of the 50 states in the US that participate. All of the New England states participate in both statewide and multi-state lottery programs. The only states that don't participate are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

In fiscal year 2023, Maine took in $72 million for the general fund through lottery ticket sales. Massachusettes had a whopping $6.148 billion in sales, the highest in the country.

Mega Millions is one of the nationwide lottery draws that pays out some big cash if you're lucky enough to hit the jackpot. The price of your ticket however is going to more than double, from $2 to $5 per ticket.

If you play Mega Millions for each of the two drawings each week, every week for the year, at $2 a ticket you were spending $208 a year. Now with the $5 ticket that goes into effect in April, you'll be paying $520 a year.

What are your chances of hitting the mega millions jackpot? 1 in 302.6 million. In simpler terms, your odds are terrible.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, which knows a little something about gambling, you are more likely to be crushed by a meteorite, die in a plane crash, be killed by a shark, win an Olympic gold medal, and become President of the United States, than winning the lottery.

Still want to buy that lottery ticket or would you rather pocket that $520 each year instead?