Texas Lottery – ‘New’ Mega Millions Big Wins Paying Off in Texas

(KPEL-FM) All across Texas, the talk among Lone Star lottery players has been about the changes in the Mega Millions Lottery game. Players from Lubbock, Dallas, Houston, El Paso, San Antonio and countless other Texas towns have reaped the benefits of Mega Millions under the old format.

How Has the New Mega Millions Format Affected Winners in Texas?

The principles behind the multi-state lottery game Mega Millions made wholesale changes to how it is played as of April 8, 2025. Two drawings have been held under the new format, and based on data from the Texas Lottery, it appears the "new" Mega Millions is a payout powerhouse for Texas players.

For example, we have first-hand knowledge of a player in whose location we are not allowed to reveal who matched three white balls and the Mega Ball for the April 11, 2025 drawing. Under the old format, that ticket would have paid $200. But based on the new random multipliers added by Mega Millions as part of the game's revamp that ticket is actually worth $2,000 this morning.

According to a press release from Mega Millions players across the game's footprint earned $3.4 million more than they would have under the game's old rules. I do think once the "confusion" about the new format calms down more and more Texas players will see better results for their lottery investment than they have in previous years.

What Was the Mega Millions Jackpot on Friday Night?

Here is how the official Mega Millions drawing played out Friday night.

One aspect of the Mega Millions game that did not change was this. In order to win the game's jackpot which was $72 million (estimated) for Friday's drawing. You do have to match all five of the white balls and the gold Mega Ball. No ticket in Texas or anywhere else for that matter did that in last night's drawing.

There was a Match 5 Million ticket sold in Michigan. That was the largest single prize generated by the drawing on April 11. If you'd like to check your numbers here is what we saw rolling out of the hopper on Friday evening.

What Were the Mega Millions Numbers for Friday, April 11, 2025?

15   37   38   56   58   Mega Ball 19

If the ticket you are holding has a match on any of those numbers or several of those numbers you will want to verify and confirm that ticket via the Texas Lottery. The Official Texas Lottery website will not only calculate all of your winnings automatically it can also provide details on the most efficient way for you to claim your prize money.

You might be wondering why we didn't list the "Megaplier" along with the numbers that were drawn last night. That's because the "Megaplier" of old is no longer. The new format of Mega Millions now randomly assigns a "multiplier" for each ticket sold. That multiplier could be anywhere from 2x,3x,4x,5x or 10x.

If you take a look at payouts for tickets that under the old format would have been a "ticket price" win. In the case of the new Mega Millions, a ticket costs $5 compared to $2 for a standard ticket or $3 if you wanted to add the Megaplier". What would have been a $5 win in Texas is now a $50 win for 404 ticket holders. 

Since there was no jackpot winner in Friday's Mega Millions game the jackpot is expected to climb to $96 million when they draw again on Tuesday. Tonight's Powerball drawing is offering an estimated top prize of $82 million.

Lotto Texas with Extra! is now offering a top prize of $12 million. That drawing will be held tonight (Saturday, April 12). Please remember lottery tickets do involve a significant risk of losing money. If you can't afford to lose you shouldn't play.

If you have a gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER. The call and the referral to counselling are free for you and your family.