The 2025 Mega da Virada lottery could pay out its first billion-dollar prize since its inception. The change was made possible after the Ministry of Treasury authorized a restructuring of the distribution of the proceeds. Therefore, the main change occurred in the percentage allocated to the Sena bracket, which increased from 62% to 90%. This means that the main bracket will receive a larger share of the total prizes.
Consequently, the quina and quadra categories have been reduced. Each will now receive 5% of the proceeds, down from the previous 19%. This redistribution directly changes the expected value of the grand prize for the special end-of-year edition.
Another significant change was the increase in the percentage accumulated throughout the year for Mega da Virada. Now, the year-end drawing will receive 10% of all proceeds from regular draws. Previously, this percentage was 5%. The new rule is already in effect and has been applied since the most recent draws.
Simulation indicates record billion-dollar value in 2025
Based on the new criteria, Caixa Econômica Federal technicians simulated the 2024 Mega da Virada jackpot. According to the calculations, the total would have reached R$981 million. Last year, eight bets shared the official R$635 million prize, with each receiving R$79.4 million.
Considering the current scenario, the expectation is that the value in 2025 will exceed R$1 billion, becoming the biggest prize in the history of Brazilian lotteries.
Changes to Mega da Virada also affect regular contests
In addition to Mega da Virada, the changes affect regular Mega-Sena draws. The percentage allocated to the Sena lottery increased from 35% to 40%. Conversely, the Quina lottery decreased from 19% to 13%, while the Quadra lottery decreased from 19% to 15%.
According to Caixa data, the Sena prize pool will increase by approximately 14%, while the lower brackets will see a reduction of up to 31%. The changes follow technical guidelines and aim to improve the prize distribution model.
