Powerball Expands to UK
Powerball is heading overseas. The U.S. lottery game will expand this summer to include players in England, Scotland, and other parts of the United Kingdom. The move follows a Tuesday agreement between the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball, and Allwyn UK, operator of the U.K.’s National Lottery. The deal still requires approval from the U.K. Gambling Commission.
It will be the first time a lottery outside the United States contributes to the Powerball jackpot. Players on both sides of the Atlantic will compete for the same jackpot, with U.S. prizes paid in dollars and U.K. prizes in pounds.
For U.S. players, nothing changes, including the $2 ticket price and the 1 in 292.2 million odds of winning the jackpot. A larger player pool from the U.K. is expected to grow jackpots more quickly. For U.K. players, Powerball offers access to far larger jackpots than those typically available in the U.K. and Europe.
The largest Powerball jackpot topped $2 billion from a California ticket in 2022. By comparison, EuroMillions paid a record £195 million, about $265 million, to a U.K. player that same year.
Estimated jackpots will differ between countries due to currency conversion and because U.S. prizes are advertised before taxes, unlike in the U.K. U.K. jackpots will be paid over 30 years, while U.S. winners can choose an annuity or a lump sum, which most select.
All players will compete for the same jackpot, but smaller prizes will vary by country.
Powerball is currently played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Drawings are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
More than 31 million people play at least one National Lottery game annually in the U.K. The agreement does not affect Mega Millions.
