Online Lottery gameplay has been redefined – and it’s all thanks to MEGA MILLIONS®

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Back in April 2025, MEGA MILLIONS® rolled out its biggest format change in years. Now we’re nearly a year on, and it’s worth looking at what’s actually shifted for players in West Virginia – because quite a lot has.
The new MEGA MILLIONS updates weren’t just cosmetic tweaks. They’ve fundamentally changed what you get when you buy a ticket online through iPLAY. From automatic multipliers to better jackpot odds and more. If you haven’t revisited the game since the changes, here’s what’s different.
The big format shift: built-in multipliers
Previously, if you wanted the Megaplier feature – the multiplier that boosts non-jackpot prizes – you’d pay extra for it. That’s gone now. Every $5 MEGA MILLIONS® ticket includes the Megaplier automatically, ranging from 2X up to 10X.
What does that mean in practice? If you match the five white balls (but not the Mega Ball), you’re looking at up to $10 million rather than the base $1 million. No add-on purchase needed, no extra decision at checkout. It’s just included.
For online players especially, this simplifies things. You’re not comparing ticket options or trying to remember whether you added the multiplier last time. Every ticket works the same way.
Jackpots grow faster
The prize structure got overhauled as part of the April update, and one noticeable result is how quickly jackpots climb between draws. The starting baseline is higher, and the rollover mechanism has been adjusted so that prize pools build faster when there’s no jackpot winner.
That doesn’t mean you’re more likely to win – MEGA MILLIONS® is still a game of chance with long odds. But when jackpots do grow, they’re hitting eye-catching figures faster than they used to. Combined with better odds at the top prize tier (still slim, but improved from before), the game feels different from a year ago.
What’s actually in the $5 ticket?
This is only the second time MEGA MILLIONS® has changed its ticket price in its entire history. Here’s what five dollars gets you now:
Entry into the next available draw (Tuesdays and Fridays)
Automatic Megaplier on all non-jackpot wins
Access to nine prize tiers
Option to enter up to 26 consecutive draws in advance
Standard gameplay: pick five numbers from 1–70, plus one Mega Ball from 1–25
The core game hasn’t changed – you’re still choosing the same number ranges. But the value proposition has shifted considerably with the built-in multiplier and improved jackpot structure.
How iPLAY has adapted
West Virginia’s official Lottery platform, iPLAY, has seen a noticeable uptick in MEGA MILLIONS® activity since the updates. Part of that’s down to the changes themselves, but the platform’s also added features that make online play more manageable.
You can now use Quick Pick if you don’t want to manually select numbers, store tickets digitally so there’s no risk of losing a physical slip, and get automatic notifications when draw results are in. Payment options are flexible too – PayPal is now available alongside standard methods.
There’s also player-controlled deposit limits, which help if you’re managing how much you spend on Lottery games overall. Combined with auto-renewal, you’ve got quite a bit of control over how and when you play.
What’s changed over the past year
The April 2025 update has had a ripple effect beyond just the ticket format. More people in West Virginia are playing MEGA MILLIONS® online now than they were 12 months ago, and the automatic multiplier has resulted in significantly larger non-jackpot payouts across the board.
The West Virginia Lottery’s also introduced supplementary programs tied to MEGA MILLIONS®, including a Second Chance drawing in 2025 with $350,000 in cash prizes, loyalty rewards through PlayON, and enhanced responsible gaming tools like session reminders and self-exclusion options.
Worth another look?
If you played MEGA MILLIONS® before April 2025 and haven’t tried it since, the game you remember isn’t quite what’s running now. The ticket price is higher, but so is what you’re getting for it. The jackpots move faster, the multiplier’s included, and the online platform is more feature-rich than it was a year ago.
Whether that’s enough to bring you back depends on what you’re after, but the format’s definitely evolved. If you’re already playing regularly, you’ve probably noticed the differences firsthand.
As with any Lottery game, outcomes are based entirely on chance, and wins are never guaranteed. Play responsibly, set limits that suit your budget, and use the tools iPLAY provides to keep participation in check.