Quick answer: Mega Millions costs $5 because the multiplier is now built into every ticket. In April 2025 the game dropped its $1 Megaplier add-on, folded a guaranteed 2×–10× multiplier into the base price, shrank the Mega Ball pool from 25 to 24, and raised the starting jackpot to $50 million. Powerball kept its $2 ticket and its optional $1 Power Play.
What you actually get for the extra $3
| Powerball | Mega Millions | |
|---|---|---|
| Base ticket | $2 | $5 |
| Multiplier | $1 add-on (Power Play) | Included, always applied |
| Number pool | 5 of 69 + 1 of 26 | 5 of 70 + 1 of 24 |
| Jackpot odds | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| Any-prize odds | 1 in 24.87 | 1 in 23 |
| Match 5 (second prize) | $1M, or $2M with Power Play | $2M minimum, up to $10M |
| Starting jackpot | $20 million | $50 million |
| Draw nights | Mon / Wed / Sat | Tue / Fri |
Comparing a $5 Mega Millions ticket to a $2 Powerball ticket is not like-for-like. The honest comparison is $5 against $3 — Powerball with Power Play — because that is the version of Powerball that also multiplies your non-jackpot prizes.
What has better odds, Powerball or Mega Millions?
Mega Millions, on both measures — but by margins too small to feel. The jackpot odds are 1 in 290.5 million versus Powerball's 1 in 292.2 million, a difference of about 0.6%. The any-prize odds are 1 in 23 versus 1 in 24.87.
The bigger difference is in the middle of the prize chart. Because the Mega Millions multiplier is always on, its published prizes are already doubled at minimum — and they beat Powerball at seven of the eight non-jackpot tiers. Here are the base amounts from recent drawings in our data:
| Match | Powerball ($2) | Mega Millions ($5, 2× minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + bonus ball | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| 5 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 4 + bonus ball | $50,000 | $20,000 |
| 4 | $100 | $1,000 |
| 3 + bonus ball | $100 | $400 |
| 3 | $7 | $20 |
| 2 + bonus ball | $7 | $20 |
| 1 + bonus ball | $4 | $14 |
| Bonus ball only | $4 | $10 |
Powerball wins exactly one row — four numbers plus the red ball, where its $50,000 beats the Mega Millions $20,000. Everywhere else the $5 ticket pays two to ten times more, and those multiplied figures climb further when a 3×, 5× or 10× is drawn.
What is the difference between Mega Millions and Powerball?
- Price and structure. $5 all-in versus $2 base plus optional add-ons.
- Draw nights. Mega Millions on Tuesday and Friday; Powerball on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Neither game runs on Thursday or Sunday.
- Ball pools. Mega Millions draws from 70 white balls and 24 gold Mega Balls; Powerball from 69 white and 26 red.
- Extra games. Powerball offers Double Play in some states — a second drawing of the same numbers for $1. Mega Millions has no equivalent.
- Who runs them. Both are administered by member lotteries through the Multi-State Lottery Association's shared infrastructure, but they are separate games with separate prize pools.
Was the price rise worth it for players?
It depends entirely on which prize you are realistically chasing. If you buy a ticket for the jackpot fantasy, you are paying 2.5× for a 0.6% odds improvement — poor value. If you play regularly and care about the mid-tier prizes you might actually collect, the guaranteed multiplier is a genuine upgrade: a $10 Mega Ball match becomes $20 at worst and $100 at best, every single time.
What did not change is the arithmetic that governs both games: the house edge is enormous, and no ticket price alters it. Our odds explainer puts the numbers in perspective.
Quick answers
Why is Mega Millions more expensive than Powerball?
Because Mega Millions raised its price to $5 in April 2025 and built the multiplier into every ticket, while Powerball still sells a $2 base ticket with the multiplier as a $1 option.
How much is a Mega Millions ticket now?
$5 per play. There is no cheaper version and no separate Megaplier to buy.
Which game has better jackpot odds?
Mega Millions, at 1 in 290,472,336 versus Powerball's 1 in 292,201,338.
Which game pays more for matching five numbers?
Mega Millions — a minimum of $2 million because the multiplier always applies, rising to $10 million at the 5× tier. Powerball pays $1 million, or a flat $2 million with Power Play.
Bottom line
The $3 gap buys a permanently-on multiplier, a slightly smaller Mega Ball pool and a bigger starting jackpot — not a meaningfully better shot at the top prize. Compare tonight's numbers side by side: Powerball · Mega Millions, and read our full odds and strategy breakdown.
Prize tiers verified against Lottery Atlas draw data, September 2026. Play responsibly — 1-800-GAMBLER.
