News writer
The world's biggest lottery game is about to get even bigger, and U.S. players may feel the impact. For the first time, the U.K.'s National Lottery is joining Powerball, opening the door to millions of new players competing for the same massive jackpots.
This could mean eye-popping prize totals climbing even faster, but it also raises a key question: when those billion-dollar wins hit, will Americans be sharing the spotlight more often?
National Lottery joins in on Powerball fun
For the first time, the National Lottery announced players in the U.K. will soon be able to participate in the world's biggest rolling jackpot game, Powerball. This multi-state draw game in the United States has delivered some of the biggest jackpots ever seen, and soon players in the U.K. will be able to take part.
In a press release, Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn UK, stated:
We're delighted to be joining the Powerball community. Our ambition is to bring more games, more innovation, and more excitement to The UK National Lottery – and it doesn't get more exciting than Powerball, with its transformative jackpots and life-changing contribution to good causes.
When will Powerball debut in the U.K.?
There was no definitive date given with the big announcement. However, lottery officials said players will be able to buy Powerball tickets online via the website or app, or in-store later this summer.
How does Powerball work?
Powerball is a draw game where the jackpot starts around £12 million. The jackpot will roll over every time no one matches all of the winning numbers drawn. The jackpot can grow to as much as £1 billion or more.
To play Powerball, players need to pick five main numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Players can also choose a Lucky Dip, for which the computer will generate numbers for you.
Powerball tickets, which will cost £4, must be purchased by 11:55 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday to enter the following day's draw. The drawings will take place in the United States every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at around 4 a.m. UK time.
Prize tiers
For U.K. players, there are 10 prize categories for Powerball. To win the jackpot, players must match all five of the main numbers plus the Powerball number. There are plenty of other smaller prizes available:
- 5 Main numbers – £1,000,000 (Fixed price)
- 4 Main numbers + Powerball – £33,000
- 4 Main numbers – £1,100
- 3 Main numbers + Powerball – £500
- 3 Main numbers – £52.10
- 2 Main numbers + Powerball – £30.80
- 1 Main number + Powerball – £15.30
- Powerball – £11.90
- 2 Main numbers – £8 (Fixed price)
Is the U.K. Powerball version the same as the U.S. Powerball version?
The U.K. version of Powerball will be the first version available outside the United States. This version will see U.K. players playing alongside their U.S. counterparts for a chance to win the huge shared jackpots.
The U.K. version will feature some new prizes for tiers below the jackpot. These prizes are available to be won in the U.K. only.
The “5 Main numbers” and “2 Main numbers” tiers are fixed prize tiers, which means the winner of that prize will always win £1 million for matching the 5 Main numbers and £8 for matching 2 of the Main numbers.
The other prize tiers are estimated prizes that vary depending on the balls drawn, the number of winners in each tier, and currency exchange rates.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are around 1 in 292 million. The overall odds of winning any prize on Powerball in the U.K. are 1 in 14.
What does this mean for U.S. players?
Adding millions of U.K. players to Powerball means more tickets will be sold. More tickets being sold means jackpots will grow faster and higher, especially when we get those long jackpot runs.
However, more tickets being sold also means more chances for multiple winning tickets. So, jackpots may be growing bigger, and the chances of sharing that jackpot could also increase. A win by a single ticket holder in California or Texas could now be split across countries.
Keep in mind, the odds of winning the jackpot — about 1 in 292 million — won't change. The size of the overall player pool will be changing. Powerball will be less of a national event, but more of a global one.
Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
