By Todd Northrop
When the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game was changed a month ago, it was done so amid promises of bigger jackpots without needing to raise ticket prices. Now it appears the promise has been met.
After no lottery tickets matched all 5 numbers plus the Mega Ball Friday night, the multi-state Mega Millions jackpot was increased to an estimated $205 million, with a lump-sum cash value of $110.6 million.
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 15 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner — 10 drawings since the game changed on October 22. The current jackpot run-up started on October 4 as a $12 million grand prize.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs. Occasionally the official jackpot estimate is raised even before the drawing, due to larger-than-expected sales.
In Friday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from New York and 1 from North Carolina.
The winner from North Carolina purchased their ticket with the Megaplier option, and because the Megaplier number drawn was 3, they will take home a $3,000,000 prize. The Megaplier offers players a chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes by the random Megaplier number drawn that evening for an extra $1 per play.
The Megaplier option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Megaplier is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts. By law, California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.
Also, a total of 45 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $5,000 prize. Of those tickets, 4 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $8,061.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, November 22, 2013, were 17, 23, 35, 36, and 44, with Mega Ball number 8. The Megaplier number was 3.
Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $24 million from its previous amount of $181 million. The cash value was raised by $11.8 million, from its previous amount of $98.8 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $1 each.
A 44th Mega Millions state may be added in early 2014, as the state of Wyoming has approved a new state lottery with the intention of joining multi-state lottery games. (See Wyoming officially becomes 44th state with a lottery, Lottery Post, Mar. 14, 2013.)
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Well my Mega_Powerball partner and I caught the Mega ball last night and we made $1.00. So I will be reinvesting our win right back into Tuesdays game.
I am still not so sure how this new concept of so many numbers is going to work out. Before they started this new format I most generally would buy at least 5 tickets with the mulitiplier added and sometime more than that if the payout got up to a certain level.....I also would play power ball the same way. Now with Mega Million adding all these additional numbers it has actually taken the fun out of even having a chance of hitting a decent prize....so I now finding myself buying one ticket per draw with the mulitplier just to have a chance.....no more multiple tickets.
My question to others.....are you all buying the same or have you cut the amount down. Do you really think this is going to work for them.
Atoz, I agree with you.
I play the Mega and the Powerball with parter/partners. I don't really like the change myself with Mega Millions. 
I also agree with you Atoz, the odds are really really bad for the new MM. I have cut back on MM and have added the extra money to buying more PB tickets.
I don't get a game that is pushing to have the biggest jackpot ever. Alot of wasted money to get to the biggest jackpot ever.
Don, I think it's going to steer a lot of players away.
The odds are rough. 
I've only played MM once since the recent change in odds and before that I played every drawing. With such super high odds I often feel like I should just keep my dollar instead of throwing it away, the new odds do turn players off.
Like I said Diablo1714, I only play it now when I have a partner or partners. Odds way to high!
I would think with the new odds more people would be playing their State Jackpot game if they had one. I know I would.
I agree. I buy $3 at the most now.
"When the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game was changed a month ago, it was done so amid promises of bigger jackpots without needing to raise ticket prices. Now it appears the promise has been met."
Yep, and now with Powerball reset, MM is free to grow as large and as fast as ever for the rest of the year.
Contrary to what some people thought, there was no mass exodus of players after the new MM matrix change. Sales figures showed that about the same amount people were at least "in it to win it" and likewise play more as the jackpot grows.
PB still has an advantage with minimum $2 bet. But as with the case of this run, the MM will have more rollovers, and continue to grow as PB resets more often. MM will have fewer jackpots per year but of higher values, with the accompanying buying frezy above $200M.
The new change is great! I love it. I'm glad that it's not too easy to win.
However, 5+0 is still too easy if you buy your tickets in New York.
In March of 2012 there was a $655.8 MM jackpot split three ways, and that was under the old format.
To hype up $205M is a little strong on MM's part.
Come to papa....Papa needs some new shoes, and a mansion. LOL!
What is really interesting to me is the lack of the second tier of winners. Only two. With the new astronomical odds we will probably see 500m jackpots won by single tickets more often than splits but also few second place winners as well in my opinion.
With MM there will be much larger jackpots (probably records in the 800m range) but fewer per year. Perhaps 5-6 huge ones and the run up will take a while (2months per run is 6 wins). This means for a lot of people eventually they will only play when it gets huge which takes players out of the lower part of the run up and will in the end make the time from the start 15m to the jackpot win even longer.