The lottery that has created millionaires in the United States is set to encompass players from England, Scotland, and the rest of the UK this summer.
An accord was announced on Tuesday between the Multi-State Lottery Association, which oversees the lottery game, and Allwyn UK, the operator of the UK’s National Lottery. This deal still awaits the green light from the UK Gambling Commission.
This will mark the first occasion that a lottery from outside the US contributes to the Powerball jackpot pool.
“We are continuously seeking avenues to maintain Powerball’s cultural and commercial relevance,” stated Matt Strawn, the head of Powerball and CEO of the Iowa Lottery. “And this truly represents the next logical step toward achieving that.”
The identical jackpot sum will be accessible to participants on both sides of the Atlantic, with prizes disbursed in US dollars for American players and in pounds sterling for those in the UK.
For US players, absolutely nothing will change, including the $2 ticket price for Powerball and the steep odds of winning the top prize at 1 in 292.2 million, as Strawn pointed out. However, ticket sales from UK participants will accelerate jackpot growth.
“In every survey, players consistently tell us they wish to see Powerball jackpots climb faster,” Strawn commented. “It’s no surprise that as jackpots escalate, more individuals participate in a given drawing. Increased participation leads to higher sales. Higher sales drive bigger jackpots, which in turn attracts more players.”
For those in the UK, Powerball will offer the potential for significantly larger jackpots than those currently available through domestic or other pan-European lotteries.
Powerball’s largest payout reached just over $2 billion from a ticket bought in California in 2022. EuroMillions, a lottery spanning nine European nations and also run in the UK by Allwyn, awarded its biggest prize to a British winner at £195 million ($265 million) in 2022.
“Our mission is to infuse the UK National Lottery with more games, innovation, and excitement—and nothing is more thrilling than Powerball with its life-changing jackpots and vital contributions to good causes,” declared Allwyn UK CEO Andria Vidler in a statement.
While the jackpot figures will be equivalent in both locations, the perceived value will fluctuate due to currency exchange rates and the difference in prize announcement practices: US prizes are advertised pre-tax, unlike those in the UK.
Powerball jackpots in the UK will also be paid out over a 30-year span, whereas US winners have the option between staged annuity payments or a lump-sum cash payout—a route nearly all US winners choose.
All entrants will compete for the same grand prize, but the amounts for lower-tier prizes will vary between the regions.
Powerball is currently played across 45 US states, as well as in Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
In the game, participants select numbers corresponding to five white balls numbered 1 through 69, plus a number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball. Drawings will continue to occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Annually, over 31 million people across the entire UK participate in at least one National Lottery game.
The recently established agreement will have no bearing on the operation of Mega Millions, the other major US lottery game.
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