The United Kingdom is set to experience the world's largest jackpot game, Powerball, as it officially launches for UK players, offering the chance to compete alongside American counterparts for jackpots that can reach billions. The National Lottery's Powerball, operated by Allwyn, began allowing players to purchase tickets starting Tuesday, with the first draw scheduled for Thursday.
Players in the UK will pay £4 per line for a chance to win shared jackpots. The game's structure involves selecting five white numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. Winning the jackpot requires matching all six drawn numbers. The jackpot continues to grow until a winner is determined. Winners have the option of receiving their prize as an annuity, paid over 30 years, or as a lump-sum payment.
This marks the first time Powerball has operated outside the United States since its inception in 1992. The UK version introduces a fixed prize of £8 for matching two main numbers, a tier exclusive to British players. The prize for matching five main numbers is also fixed at £1 million. Other prize tiers will vary based on the number of winners and balls drawn.
The current Powerball jackpot is estimated at $544 million (approximately £311 million), with a cash value of $241.6 million (£180 million). The game's odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292 million.
Tickets for the UK Powerball will be available for purchase online and in stores until 11:55 p.m. the night before each draw. The draws themselves take place around 4 a.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays in Florida. Allwyn has distributed "Launch Boxes" to approximately 43,500 retailers across the UK, containing materials to assist both players and stores in preparing for the new game. Retailers will receive a 20p commission for every £4 line sold.
Powerball has previously created massive winners, including the world's largest lottery prize of $2.04 billion (£1.5 billion) in 2022, won by Edwin Castro. The winner opted for a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million before taxes.
Total National Lottery sales in the UK reached £8.1 billion in 2025, with over £1.7 billion generated for good causes and £967 million raised in taxes. This launch follows recent changes to the National Lottery's Lotto game, which introduced a new format in June aimed at increasing the number of millionaires created annually, and a significant £450 million technology upgrade to the lottery system.