The change, requested by Loterias Caixa, affects how the total prize pool is split. Previously, 62% of all prize money for 'Mega da Virada' went to the main prize. That number is now 90%.
The share allocated to those who match five or four numbers has been reduced. Each used to receive 19% of the total prize pool, but now receive just 5%. Last year, over 2,000 bets earned R$ 65,000 (US$11,800) each for matching five numbers, and 190,000 bets received R$ 1,086 (US$196) each for matching four.
These changes do not affect the overall percentage of total lottery revenue allocated to prize payouts, which remains at 43.79%. The rest goes to social security, cultural funds, sports development, and covers the operational costs of the lottery system, including retailer commissions.
The new rules make Mega da Virada more attractive to players chasing massive jackpots. If the updated rule had been in place last year, the main prize for the end-of-year draw would have been R$ 981 million (US$178m) — instead of the R$ 635 million (US$115m) that was actually awarded.
The prize is likely to grow even more from this year onward. That’s because another rule change has increased the percentage of regular draws set aside for the 'Mega da Virada'. Previously, 5% of the prize pool from each regular Mega-Sena draw was reserved for the year-end special. Now, that rate is 10%, doubling the contribution. This rule already applied to the most recent draw held last Saturday, meaning extra funds are already being collected for this year’s jackpot.
When contacted, Caixa Loterias said it is constantly developing studies and research aimed at modernizing the products it manages. “We clarify that the changes aim to increase the Mega-Sena’s top prize, making it even more attractive to the public,” the company said in a statement.
The regular draw prize distribution has also changed starting today. Until last Tuesday’s draw, the distribution was 35% for those who matched all six numbers, 19% for five, and another 19% for four.
Now, those percentages are 40%, 13%, and 15%, respectively. This means that in regular draws — held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday — the top prize is now 14.29% larger than before. However, payouts for matching five and four numbers have been reduced by 31% and 21%, respectively.
The change comes after a decline in lottery revenue for Caixa. In the first half of this year, earnings were about 6% lower than in the same period last year. These were also the first months under Brazil’s new regulation of the sports betting market.
Lotteries have been facing strong competition from 'Bets', which are much more aggressive in their advertising. Furthermore, online betting prizes yield higher returns, as less than half of the amount collected by Caixa from lotteries returns to bettors
The remainder is distributed to social security, funds such as the Culture Fund, sports funding in the country, and covers maintenance and operating expenses for the lotteries, including commissions from lottery outlets. With 'Bets', the return to bettors is between 85% and 87%.
Source: UOL
