I personally suspect that the pre-assigned multiplier ruins the game for most players. Before, when you bought a ticket with or without a multiplier, you didn't win or lose anything until the official drawing was done, a day or two after you bought your ticket. You never felt like a loser until after the draw. And everyone in the draw got the same multiplier, so for better or worse it all felt fair and evenhanded.

Now, as soon as you buy a ticket, 31/32 buyers will realize that they've lost out on the best possible payoff. Another 15/32 will feel disappointed that they've bought a below-average payoff. Just 7/32 will have received a better-than average (better than 3x) payoff potential.

By making most players feel like some kind of loser from the moment they buy their tickets, won't this kill many players' enthusiasm for the game, likely driving them to Powerball instead?

The change has also ruined the idea of giving Mega Millions tickets as gifts. How many of us would occasionally buy a few tickets as gifts for friends? The new built-in multiplier ruins this, as there's no way I'm going to give three good friends gift tickets with three different multipliers.

Bad move, Mega Millions!