Powerball expands to UK with £300M jackpot, first international lottery outside US

Powerball, the world's largest rolling jackpot lottery, officially launched in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2026, marking the first time a lottery outside the United States contributes to the Powerball jackpot pool. The expansion followed an agreement between the Multi-State Lottery Association in the U.S. and Allwyn UK, announced in April 2026. The first draw took place on July 23, 2026, with hundreds of thousands of tickets sold in the first 24 hours—including the first online ticket purchased in Brighton at 5:54 a.m. on launch day.

UK players can compete for an estimated £300 million jackpot, the largest ever offered in the country. However, the advertised jackpot figures differ markedly between the UK and US versions of the same game. The UK displays £300 million (approximately $400.4 million), while the US advertised $567 million for the same drawing. This disparity reflects different disclosure standards: the US presents the gross pre-tax annuity value (the theoretical total of 30 annual payments), while the UK advertises the net amount after applying the highest applicable tax rate. In reality, US winners never collect the advertised gross amount, as federal withholding and state income taxes reduce the actual payout significantly.

Tickets cost £4 (approximately $5.33) in the UK, more than double the $2 US ticket price. UK tickets only contribute to the Powerball jackpot, not lower-tier prizes, and feature a different prize structure than US tickets. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot remain identical for US and UK players: 1 in 292.2 million. Drawings continue to be held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays in the US; the UK draws occur every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

A key difference in prize distribution emerged: UK winners receive their jackpot as mandatory annual payments over 30 years, administered by the UK National Lottery. By contrast, US winners can choose between a 30-year annuity or a discounted lump-sum cash payment—nearly all US winners opt for the cash option. The UK's mandatory annuity structure reflects the fact that UK lottery winnings are not subject to income tax, unlike US winnings, which face federal withholding (24% minimum) plus state and income taxes that can total approximately 37% or more depending on the winner's state of residence.

Lottery officials stated that the expanded player base—now including UK residents—will allow Powerball jackpots to grow more quickly, as ticket sales from all participating regions contribute toward the shared prize fund. Each UK ticket sold contributes the same amount to the jackpot as a US ticket. The largest previous Powerball payout was just over $2 billion (approximately £1.5 billion) from a ticket purchased in California in 2022. Powerball is played in 45 US states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.