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History was made for the Powerball lottery on Tuesday as ticket sales began in the United Kingdom, marking the first time the American game has offered access to players outside the United States and its territories. The move represents a momentous expansion that promises to reshape the world’s most popular lottery game.
With ticket sales now live across the British Isles, UK players can compete for the same massive jackpots that have drawn American players since 1992. The first drawing under this new international arrangement will take place on Wednesday evening, with UK players eligible to win starting that day.
The expansion, formalized through an agreement between the Multi-State Lottery Association in the United States and Allwyn UK, the operator of the National Lottery in Britain, fundamentally changes how Powerball’s jackpot pool functions. For the first time in the game’s history, a non-U.S. lottery contributes to and draws from the same jackpot pool as American participants. With the addition of UK players, a total of 49 lotteries now pool resources for the jackpot, up from 48 U.S.-based lotteries previously.
Lottery officials anticipate that the influx of nearly 70 million potential British players will accelerate jackpot growth. By expanding the player base internationally, more ticket sales flow into the jackpot pool, meaning prizes could grow faster and reach record heights more quickly. For American players, this fundamentally changes the stakes involved when they purchase their $2 tickets on drawing days.
However, the expansion does not alter the core experience for U.S. Powerball players. The $2 ticket price remains unchanged. The odds of winning the jackpot stay at 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall odds of winning any prize remain 1 in 24.9. Drawings will continue to take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time from the Powerball studio in Florida. Players still select five white ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. The game mechanics that millions of Americans know and play remain entirely the same.
Yet British players will experience Powerball quite differently. In the UK, a single ticket costs £4, roughly equivalent to $5, nearly double the American price. The drawing schedule accommodates British time zones, with ticket sales closing at 11:55 p.m. UK time for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday drawings, with results drawn at approximately 4 a.m. UK time the following morning.
The prize structures also diverge significantly between nations. While UK players contribute only to the jackpot portion of the prize pool, American ticket revenue continues to fund lower-tier prizes exclusively in the United States. UK players operate under a separate prize structure, with lower-tier winnings ranging from £8 to £1 million. Notably, the UK version includes a unique “Match 2” prize tier that awards £8 for matching just two main numbers, a tier not available to American players.
Perhaps the most consequential difference involves how jackpot winners receive their prizes. UK jackpot winners will receive their winnings spread over 30 years through a fixed payment structure administered by the National Lottery. By contrast, American jackpot winners have a choice: they can receive an annuity paid in 30 increasing installments over 29 years, or opt for a lump-sum cash payment. The vast majority of American winners choose the cash option, taking a significantly reduced but immediate payout.
The advertised jackpot amounts will also differ between countries due to currency conversion rates and different tax approaches. The U.S. advertises Powerball prizes before taxes are applied, while UK advertising reflects post-tax amounts. This means a single jackpot will appear as different dollar and pound amounts depending on which side of the Atlantic a player resides.
Concerns about the international expansion have emerged in some quarters. Several years ago, Idaho lawmakers voted to pull the state out of Powerball entirely if the Multi-State Lottery Association proceeded with UK expansion plans, worrying that revenue might flow to foreign governments. However, lottery officials and Allwyn have consistently emphasized that the arrangement preserves local benefits. More than half of every Powerball ticket sold remains in the jurisdiction where it was purchased, regardless of nationality. Revenue from U.S. tickets will continue supporting state and territorial lottery programs, while proceeds from British sales will fund UK National Lottery good causes.
The scale of this international expansion becomes clear when considering what opportunities await players. The largest Powerball jackpot ever won was just over $2 billion, from a ticket purchased in California in 2022. By contrast, EuroMillions, a European lottery operated by Allwyn and available across nine countries, awarded a maximum prize of 250 million euros—approximately $285 million. The jackpots available through UK Powerball will dwarf anything previously offered to British players.
Allwyn UK has predicted strong interest and projects that Powerball could generate approximately £1 billion for UK good causes over its first five years. The launch represents part of a broader strategy by Allwyn to revitalize and expand the National Lottery following the company’s takeover in February 2024.
For nearly three decades, Powerball remained exclusively an American game despite decades-old concepts of pooling lottery players across borders to build larger prizes. The practical difficulties of reconciling different regulatory frameworks, tax treatment, prize payment rules, and consumer protection standards across two sovereign nations made the venture complex until now. Lottery officials say this moment opens possibilities for future international expansion, though any such moves would require similarly intricate negotiations.
As of Tuesday morning, the first retail ticket was sold at a shop in Pocklington, Yorkshire, just after 5 a.m. UK time, while the first online ticket was purchased through the National Lottery app by a Brighton player shortly after. The historic first drawing under the new system awaits, with ticket sales to remain open through Wednesday evening for entry into that inaugural shared draw.