When the Texas Lottery Commission revamped the Texas Lotto format in May, the game was advertised as a "Whole New Ball Game."

On Wednesday, several more new balls were thrown into that mix with the introduction of the Mega Millions multistate lottery game.

Mega Millions, a massive game that is also played by residents in 10 other states, was introduced to Texans on Wednesday amid busy ticket sales.

The first drawing, which is for a pot of $44 million, is set for tonight.

While the rules of the game are a bit different - Texas has added a prize-winning "Megaplier" - many people are still snatching up tickets, even in Huntsville.

"We've sold quite a few," said James Reichman, a clerk at Exxon on Interstate 45.

The Mega Millions rules are simple: pick five numbers between 1 and 52, plus a Gold Mega ball number between 1 and 52. The Texas Lotto operates on the same principle.

The difference in this game, and it's what has some people confused, is the Megaplier.

With each ticket costing $1, the Megaplier allows players to double, triple or quadruple their non-jackpot winnings. For an additional $1, players can choose the Megaplier option. A number between 2 and 4 is chosen, and winnings are multiplied by that amount.

For instance, a player who gets the Gold Mega ball right wins $2. With a 2 multiplier, that prize is doubled to $4. A multiplier of 4 means a player wins $8.

The Megaplier is a feature offered only to Texas Lottery customers and can only be used on the Mega Millions game.

Jackpot prizes are either awarded in 26 annual payments or in one lump sum. As always, the federal government takes its cut before the player gets his.

Any confusion about the Megaplier concept may be tempered by the popularity of a new game and a chance to win even more money.

"It seems to be going over well," said Exxon manager George Honea of the Megaplier. "Once everybody sees how it works, they'll starting playing it more."