Lottery players in the United Kingdom will be able to play Powerball for the first time later this month with uncapped jackpots starting at £12 million
UK National Lottery operator Allwyn has confirmed the launch date for its new Powerball game, with the first draw scheduled to take place on Thursday 23 July.
Subject to final regulatory approval, the UK-specific version of the game will be priced at £4 per line and will be available for purchase from National Lottery retailers and the National Lottery website and app from Tuesday 21 July.
Marking the first time the jackpot draw game is launching outside of the United States, the Powerball game will enable UK players to play alongside their US counterparts for a chance to win uncapped jackpots starting at £12 million, which can grow into the hundreds of millions and even billions.
The UK game features an extra ‘Match 2 main numbers’ prize tier, which is only available to UK players and offers a fixed prize of £8.
The ‘Match 5 main numbers’ tier also offers a fixed prize of £1 million, while all other UK prize tiers offer estimated prizes which vary depending on the balls drawn and the number of winners in each tier.
“We’re excited to give National Lottery players the chance to dream bigger, while supporting thousands of Good Cause projects across the UK every week,” said Allwyn CEO Andria Vidler. “Powerball jackpots can soar into the billions, offering breath-taking sums with the potential to transform lives and communities.
“As we begin the countdown to the first draw later this month, you won’t be able to miss Powerball’s arrival with a major launch lined up. We’re encouraging players to get involved when tickets go on sale, and we’ll be crossing our fingers for our first UK winner.”
The biggest ever Powerball winner of over $2.04 billion was made in 2022. Over the past 34 years, Powerball has generated an estimated $38 billion for good causes, including education and scholarships, veteran services, and parks and recreation in the United States.
The game is expected to raise around £1 billion good causes in the United Kingdom over its first five years.
“This next step brings us closer to a thrilling milestone for Powerball,” said Rebecca Paul, president and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery and former president of the World Lottery Association (WLA). “More players means faster-growing jackpots, more excitement and even greater impact for the communities we serve.”
The launch of Powerball follows on from changes that Allwyn made to the flagship Lotto game last month, where one £2 Lotto line now gives players two chances to win.
Since the first new Lotto draw on 10 June, the revised format has created 27 millionaires to date.