The Texas Lottery has proposed raising the price of Mega Millions lottery tickets from $2 to $5. This potential price increase has sparked controversy among lottery players and advocates. The Texas Lottery Commission is considering the price hike in response to declining sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed increase would be the first since the Mega Millions game was introduced in 2003. The commission believes that raising the ticket price will help increase funding for public education and other state programs that benefit from lottery revenue. However, critics argue that this move could deter lower-income individuals from playing the lottery and ultimately decrease overall sales.
The Texas Lottery Commission has been faced with numerous challenges during the pandemic, as sales have dropped significantly due to closures of retail locations and economic uncertainty. The commission hopes that increasing the ticket price for Mega Millions will help generate more revenue to offset these losses.
If the proposal is approved, Texas would join a handful of other states that have raised ticket prices for Mega Millions in recent years. The $5 ticket price would put Texas on par with states like New York, New Jersey, and California.
The Texas Lottery Commission is expected to make a decision on the proposed price increase in the coming months. In the meantime, lottery players and advocates are closely monitoring the situation and voicing their opinions on the potential impact of the price change.
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