Powerball Goes Global: UK players join the big jackpot

The British are coming! The British are coming! America’s most popular multi-state lottery game is officially going overseas, as UK players will be able to buy Powerball tickets later this summer, through the National Lottery.

Powerball is the first American lottery game to expand to another country, and we have many questions about how it will adapt to serve new international players. Will jackpots grow larger with more players? Are the same prizes available in the U.S. and the UK?

On February 1st, 2024, Allwyn UK took over as the official operator of the UK National Lottery, and they led the drive to bring Powerball across the Atlantic. We spoke with Richard Dawkins, Allwyn’s Managing Director, Digital, to better understand how expanding Powerball to UK players will change the game.

Q: When did discussions begin for the National Lottery to join Powerball?

A: A UK version of Powerball was in our bid to become the next operator of The UK National Lottery, which we then went on to win. We took over as operator in February 2024. So, this is something we've been in talks with the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) about over a number of years, and has been a long time in the making.

Q: What were the biggest obstacles you had to overcome to create an international lottery?

A: The main things we had to iron out as part of the agreement were the logistics considerations you’d probably expect. For example, how would we make it work with the time difference, given that the draws take place at 3:59 am UK time most of the year? How would we account for the different currencies and for exchange rate fluctuations? How we would adapt our UK offering, such as setting the price per line to fit in with a game structure that has been highly successful for over 30 years in the US. It was mainly things like that.

More generally, the introduction of Powerball – and other upcoming changes that we’re making to our portfolio of games – could only come about once we’d made crucial upgrades to The UK National Lottery’s infrastructure and tech capabilities. In March this year, we announced that we’d successfully completed the biggest-ever transformation of National Lottery retail operations, gaming systems, and online capabilities since its launch in 1994. With these extensive upgrades to our digital and retail channels now complete – at an investment cost of £450m – we are now onto the really exciting next phase of our plans, as we are now able to bring these fantastic new games to National Lottery players.

Q: Why was bringing Powerball to the UK a priority for Allwyn?

A: In our successful bid to run the UK National Lottery, we set out to bring more games, more entertainment, and more innovation. And it doesn’t get much bigger or more entertaining than Powerball! Big, rolling jackpot games have played a key role in the National Lottery portfolio for many years, driving player excitement and returns to Good Causes in the process. So, with its transformative jackpots, we’re certain that the iconic Powerball game will really capture the UK public’s imagination.

Q: While all Powerball players are competing for the same jackpot, there are some variations in how the game is played in each country. What are the key differences between the US and UK versions of the Powerball game?

A: We will be launching a tailored version of the game specifically for UK players. Priced at £4 per line, this will see UK players playing alongside their US counterparts for a chance to win the amazing jackpot on offer, which will be paid out over 30 years to UK jackpot winners.

The UK game will feature an extra ‘Match 2 main numbers’ prize tier, which is only available to UK players and offers a fixed prize of £8. The ‘Match 5 main numbers’ tier also offers a fixed prize of £1m, while all other UK prize tiers offer generous estimated prizes – which vary depending on the balls drawn and the number of winners in each tier. 

Q: Why was it important for the National Lottery to add Powerball to its game portfolio?

A: This game expansion is absolutely driven by two key goals. First, with the addition of our UK player base, the Powerball jackpot is expected to grow more quickly. Currently, 31.5 million people across the UK play one or more National Lottery games each year. So, once we launch the game in the UK, you can get a feel for how the game’s player base will immediately grow and drive up the jackpots. Crucially, this will be done without altering the game in any way for loyal US players.

The second goal of expanding Powerball to the UK, particularly from a MUSL perspective, is to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the game and the good causes it supports. For 34 years, the game has generated an estimated $38 billion for good causes, including education and scholarships, veteran services, parks and recreation, and other essential programs. The UK expansion will help secure the game’s future as a dependable source of funding for the public programs and services Powerball players care about. In the UK alone, Powerball is expected to deliver around £1bn more to UK Good Causes over the first five years, with over 30% of the ticket price returned to UK Good Causes.

Q: The National Lottery does not offer a one-time payout. Why is that?

A: The Powerball jackpot paid over 30 years enables a UK winner to receive an overall higher prize than if the same amount was offered as a one‑off, upfront payment. This also provides a steady income over time, helping to support long‑term financial security.

Q: If this expansion is successful, do you think other countries could join Powerball?

A: That would be a question for MUSL, as the Powerball membership association. What I do know is that, since Powerball launched in 1992, the number of lotteries selling the game has expanded from 15 to all 48 US lotteries. And Powerball has also expanded beyond the continental United States to other US territories, with the US Virgin Islands joining in 2002 and Puerto Rico in 2014. So, we are delighted to be joining the Powerball community at this exciting time and to be the first country outside the US to do so.

Q: Is it possible that other US Lottery games could migrate to the UK?

A: We are genuinely thrilled to be bringing this pre-eminent, longstanding game to the UK. Powerball has such a fantastic reputation and the excitement that its transformative jackpots bring not only generates a huge, positive buzz, but also vital returns to Good Causes in the process.

The key thing for us in the UK is ensuring that we offer a range of complementary games – a selection of games with varied prices, and with different themes and top prizes on offer – to ensure that there is something for everyone. It’s about finding that sweet spot of offering the best mix of different, appealing games to reach the widest possible player base.

Q: What is the future of international lottery games?

A: Even before we announced the UK Powerball expansion, sharing best practices and learnings with our international lottery counterparts is something we’ve always done. At Allwyn UK, we are part of Allwyn International, with lottery operations across Europe and North America. So, keeping up to date on what other lotteries are doing – and new technologies and innovations that they’re bringing in – is key to us ensuring that we’re keeping our offering fresh and exciting for UK players, maximizing the amount raised for Good Causes.

Q: How do games like Powerball and other National Lottery games benefit people even if they don’t play or buy a ticket?

A: By offering a wide range of complementary games, we’re ensuring there is something for everyone – returning the magic, building our player base, and making sure The National Lottery remains part of the national conversation. In turn, this will raise more money for Good Causes, helping us reach our goal of doubling weekly returns to Good Causes from £30m to £60m by 2034, with £33m a week currently raised.

With over 680,000 Good Causes grants having been made to date – ranging from world-class heritage projects to life-changing community projects, as well as funding Olympic and Paralympic athletes – most people in the UK will have benefited from a National Lottery-funded project at some point. So, it is critical that we are continually upping our game and getting people excited with new offerings.