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If you haven't heard, Mega Millions has increased their ticket price with the promise of larger jackpots. As of April 1st, commonly known as April Fool's Day, the price more than doubled, jumping from $2 to $5. This is only the second price increase since the game's inception a little over 20 years ago. Odds are that you will be struck by lightning before hitting the Mega Millions jackpot, but lottery officials claim that there is a better chance of winning, improving from 1 in 300,000,000 to 1 in 290,000,000. The proceeds generated by lottery ticket sales are said to benefit programs of the 45 states in the Mega Millions Consortium. Most states have a "General Fund" or "Education" program where remaining proceeds go after paying out prize monies, administration expenses, and advertising costs... Click Here.

It seems that a lot of the $1 lottery tickets, possibly the main reason the games initially became popular, have gone away over time. Not only has the price to play Mega Millions gone up, but regular scratch-off tickets are rarely sold in the dollar variety anymore. There are still a few games where players can pick 3 or 4 numbers for a dollar, but it won't be a surprise if the price doesn't stay the same for much longer. Apparently, the lottery isn't impervious to inflation.