CONCORD, NH – Officials at the New Hampshire Lottery announce the launch of a new $2 jackpot game: Tri-State Megabucks Plus®. This game will replace Tri-State Megabucks® which in 1985 became the first multi-state lottery game in the nation.
“This is part of the New Hampshire Lottery’s ongoing efforts to enhance our product offerings and give our players new and better games,” said Executive Director Rick Wisler. “This is more than a revamping of a current product. Tri-State Megabucks Plus® is a whole new game. The rolling jackpots will now all start at one million dollars, the second tier prize is now bigger, and the overall odds of winning are better.”
Tri-State Megabucks Plus® tickets went on sale in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine on July 26, 2009. Megabucks Plus® players will select five numbers from a field of 1 to 41 and then select one Megaball number from separate field of 1 to 6. Megabucks Plus® drawings will be held every Wednesday and Saturday.
The odds of winning in Megabucks Plus® have gotten significantly better. The chances of winning a prize in the original game were approximate 1 in 21. Now, the overall chances of winning a prize are 1 in 6, the best of all of New Hampshire’s jackpot games.
Over the past year, the New Hampshire Lottery has made many significant changes to its jackpot games and scratch ticket offerings. In January, Powerball® was enhanced to generate bigger grand prizes in a shorter time. In February, the Tri-State Paycheck® drawing was replaced with Tri-State Weekly Grand®. The Lottery also has rolled out several high-profile licensed instant games, such as Boston Celtics Gold, Boston Red Sox, and Billboard.
“We’re listening to our players and doing all that we can to offer them the kinds of games they want. Whenever we’ve made an enhancement or offered a new lottery product, it’s always outperformed the game it’s replacing,” said Wisler.
The last drawing of Tri-State Megabucks® game was be on Saturday July 25th, 2009. When it was launched on September 3, 1985, Tri-State Megabucks® was the first multi-state lottery game in the country. Its success paved the way for other multi-state games such as Powerball® and Hot Lotto®.