Powerball is crossing the Atlantic with exciting news for lottery enthusiasts. The cherished lottery game that has turned countless Americans into millionaires plans to extend its reach this upcoming summer, allowing players in the United Kingdom—specifically in England, Scotland, and others—to join the ranks of hopefuls vying for massive jackpots.
An agreement struck between the Multi-State Lottery Association, responsible for the Powerball game, and Allwyn UK, which oversees the National Lottery in Britain, marks a pivotal moment in lottery operations. This expansion awaits approval from a UK gambling commission, but it represents a significant development in the global lottery scene.
We’re constantly looking for ways to ensure that we’re keeping Powerball culturally and commercially relevant, said Matt Strawn, CEO of the Iowa Lottery. He emphasized that this step is a natural progression to attract more players and enhance the overall experience. As a result of this agreement, the same jackpot amounts will be available to players in both the U.S. and the U.K., with payouts being made in dollars for American players and pounds for those in the U.K.
While U.S. players will see no changes to their ticket prices or odds of winning—a rare 1 in 292.2 million chance—this expansion is expected to rapidly increase jackpot sizes due to a larger pool of ticket buyers.
Strawn added, Players consistently tell us in survey after survey that faster-growing Powerball jackpots is what they’d like to see. Not surprisingly, the higher the jackpots grow the more people play the game in a particular drawing.
For U.K. players, the opportunity to vie for significantly larger jackpots that surpass current offerings in British lotteries could introduce a thrilling new dimension to their gaming choices. The largest Powerball prize recorded was over $2 billion from a ticket sold in California in 2022, vastly exceeding the U.K.'s largest EuroMillions payout of £195 million ($265 million).
Allwyn UK's Chief Executive, Andria Vidler, commented on the excitement this addition will bring to the National Lottery, stating, Our ambition is to bring more games, more innovation, and more excitement... and it doesn’t get more exciting than Powerball.
Jackpot amounts will be marketed differently between the two countries—U.S. amounts will be advertised pretax, whereas the U.K. operates post-tax. To note, while all players will chase the same jackpot, the distribution of smaller prizes will differ between the U.S. and U.K. participants.
The traditional Powerball format, where participants select five white balls numbered 1 to 69 and one red Powerball between 1 and 26, will remain unchanged, with drawings continuing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. This exciting development not only opens up new opportunities for lottery players in the U.K. but also highlights the evolving nature of gaming across borders.
An agreement struck between the Multi-State Lottery Association, responsible for the Powerball game, and Allwyn UK, which oversees the National Lottery in Britain, marks a pivotal moment in lottery operations. This expansion awaits approval from a UK gambling commission, but it represents a significant development in the global lottery scene.
We’re constantly looking for ways to ensure that we’re keeping Powerball culturally and commercially relevant, said Matt Strawn, CEO of the Iowa Lottery. He emphasized that this step is a natural progression to attract more players and enhance the overall experience. As a result of this agreement, the same jackpot amounts will be available to players in both the U.S. and the U.K., with payouts being made in dollars for American players and pounds for those in the U.K.
While U.S. players will see no changes to their ticket prices or odds of winning—a rare 1 in 292.2 million chance—this expansion is expected to rapidly increase jackpot sizes due to a larger pool of ticket buyers.
Strawn added, Players consistently tell us in survey after survey that faster-growing Powerball jackpots is what they’d like to see. Not surprisingly, the higher the jackpots grow the more people play the game in a particular drawing.
For U.K. players, the opportunity to vie for significantly larger jackpots that surpass current offerings in British lotteries could introduce a thrilling new dimension to their gaming choices. The largest Powerball prize recorded was over $2 billion from a ticket sold in California in 2022, vastly exceeding the U.K.'s largest EuroMillions payout of £195 million ($265 million).
Allwyn UK's Chief Executive, Andria Vidler, commented on the excitement this addition will bring to the National Lottery, stating, Our ambition is to bring more games, more innovation, and more excitement... and it doesn’t get more exciting than Powerball.
Jackpot amounts will be marketed differently between the two countries—U.S. amounts will be advertised pretax, whereas the U.K. operates post-tax. To note, while all players will chase the same jackpot, the distribution of smaller prizes will differ between the U.S. and U.K. participants.
The traditional Powerball format, where participants select five white balls numbered 1 to 69 and one red Powerball between 1 and 26, will remain unchanged, with drawings continuing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. This exciting development not only opens up new opportunities for lottery players in the U.K. but also highlights the evolving nature of gaming across borders.
