People in the United Kingdom can now play the US Powerball lottery for the first time. Ticket sales in the UK started on Tuesday, giving British players a chance to win the same giant jackpots as players in the United States.
This is the first time a lottery outside the US will help build the Powerball jackpot. British players will be able to play for much larger prizes than those available in local or European lotteries. For example, Europe's EuroMillions lottery has a maximum prize of 250 million euros (about $285 million). In comparison, the largest Powerball jackpot in history was over $2 billion, won in California in 2022.
However, the chance of winning remains extremely small. The odds of winning the grand prize are 1 in 292.2 million for both US and UK players. US lottery officials hope that adding UK players will help the jackpots grow much faster, which usually makes more people buy tickets.
There are some key differences for British players. In the UK, ticket sales will only go toward the main jackpot, not the smaller prizes. The UK will have its own prize structure for lower-tier wins. Additionally, the advertised jackpot sizes will look different because the US lists prize amounts before taxes, while the UK does not. Finally, if a UK player wins the jackpot, the money will be paid over 30 years. In the US, winners can choose to get their money over 30 years or take a smaller amount of cash immediately.
Powerball drawings take place three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. To play, players must choose five white-ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26.