After the April 3 drawing, jackpots for the national Mega Millions game will be determined on a drawing by drawing basis.

The changes, announced Friday by the Mega Millions Consortium, the national group that oversees the Mega Millions game, mean the game will not have a guaranteed starting jackpot or a guaranteed increase between drawings. Previously, the game had a guaranteed starting jackpot of $40 million and a guaranteed increase between drawings, when a jackpot is not won, of $5 million.

Now the amount of both the starting jackpot and the increases between drawings will be based on ticket sales and interest rates. The consortium attributed the changes to slowing sales during the coronavirus outbreak.

“The value of the Mega Millions jackpot is based on projected sales, and typical sales patterns have been altered because the current health crisis has required people to stay home,” said Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium and director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming. “We are concerned, first and foremost, with everyone’s health and well-being. Meanwhile, these adjustments will allow the states and jurisdictions that sell Mega Millions tickets to continue generating much-needed revenue to support state budgets.”

The advertised Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, April 3, is a guaranteed $121 million. If there is no jackpot winner on April 3, the jackpot will roll to an annuitized value of $127 million. If the jackpot is won, it will reset to an amount determined by the Mega Millions Consortium based on ticket sales and interest rates.

The changes, allowed under the game rules, go into effect Immediately following the Friday, April 3 drawing.

Mega Millions tickets remain $2 per play and no changes were made in the odds of winning prizes. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are broadcast live every Friday and Tuesday at 11 p.m.

Draw games such as Mega Millions make it possible for the Education Lottery to raise more than $700 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website. https://nclottery.com/