Allwyn has launched Powerball in Great Britain, bringing the US jackpot game to UK players for the first time and putting them in line for the same top prize as American players. The rollout adds a new product to the National Lottery as the operator continues its modernisation drive.
GamblingNews reported that the British version is the same game already played by millions in the United States. Before the UK launch, Powerball was available in 45 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The report said adding Britain means UK players will help grow the top prize pool. It also estimated that the average number of Powerball participants could rise by about 20%, because the UK population is roughly a fifth of the US population.
Powerball offers an uncapped jackpot. The article said that differs from previous UK lottery games, which guaranteed a prize every fifth drawing and therefore did not allow the top prize to reach its full potential.
A UK Powerball ticket costs £4, or roughly $5.40, compared with $2 in the United States. CNN reported in April that while the same jackpot amount would be available on both sides of the Atlantic, advertised sums would differ because of currency conversion and because US prizes are promoted before tax.
Allwyn believes Powerball could generate up to £1 billion a year for good causes, based only on sales in Great Britain. Sales in the United States would continue to support local causes there.
CNN had reported in April that the Multi-State Lottery Association and Allwyn UK had agreed to expand Powerball to England, Scotland and other parts of the UK, although the deal still needed approval from the Gambling Commission at the time. The broader backdrop is a National Lottery run that changed hands when Allwyn became operator on 1 February 2024 under the fourth licence, which runs for ten years.
The Commons Library says the Gambling Commission regulates the National Lottery and must protect players and maximise returns to good causes. More than 31 million people play at least one National Lottery game each year across the UK.
