As they say, it’s all about the money. Playing the lottery comes at a higher cost after the price of a Mega Millions ticket more than doubled. People are used to buying their Mega Millions tickets for $2. They now have to pay $5, a 150% increase. Lottery officials say the change stems from what they consider “jackpot fatigue” — people buying fewer tickets because the jackpot isn't high enough. That’s precisely why lottery officials say they increased the price of the tickets — to allow for bigger earnings. The price hike was said to have come with a promise that the starting jackpot would increase from $20 million to $50 million, and non-jackpot winners would be guaranteed at least $10. What happened in reality was a 30% drop in ticket sales. In today’s economy, people just aren't willing to shell out over double what they’ve paid all along for Mega Millions tickets when they can continue to pay $2 for a Powerball ticket.
