Powerball Jackpot Set to Soar Higher as It Becomes Available to UK Players

UK Powerball: A Historic Lottery Change

Powerball has been a popular fixture of the American lottery since 1992, but has never expanded outside of the United States. This makes the upcoming change a landmark moment that could lead to some exciting things. Specifically, lottery experts expect Powerball jackpots to go over the billion-dollar threshold more frequently, a bonus considering how common they have become in recent times.

Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO said that it “benefits every jurisdiction participating in Powerball. This is a win for Powerball players – as more people play, the faster jackpots grow, all while keeping odds the same for every Powerball drawing, wherever a player buys their $2 ticket.”

Andira Vidler of Allwyn UK says they are “delighted to be joining the Powerball community. Our ambition is to bring more games, more innovation and more excitement to The UK National Lottery – and it doesn’t get more exciting than Powerball, with its transformative jackpots and life-changing contribution to good causes.”

How much will the Powerball jackpot increase by?

Around 31% to 32% of the UK population take part in lottery draw games per month, and each player purchases 3 tickets a week on average. Based on past performance of high-jackpot games, lottery operators are expecting the jackpot velocity (the speed at which it climbs after a rollover) to increase by about 15-20% globally due to the added UK volume.

A More Sustainable Powerball?

Another goal of this expansion is to make the game last longer so that it can continue to bring weekly excitement to players while helping good causes.

Over half of every Powerball ticket sold remains in the jurisdiction in which it’s bought and is used to fund public programs, including educational sectors and local communities. Over the decades since its launch, $38 billion has been repurposed into scholarships, veteran services, parks and recreation, and other areas.

While the UK’s rules will differ slightly from those in the states (they will have slightly different prize tiers), the rules, prizes, and odds will remain the same. However, the UK will be subject to the same compliance reviews and security standards as US regions.

The first UK drawing is still to be determined, but it will take place sometime this summer, once approved by the UK regulator. 

Enter Powerball

Powerball drawings take place three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m ET. The draw times in the states will also apply to the UK drawing, as will the time difference. You’ll await results at night while UK players wake up to them — 10 p.m ET is 4.00 a.m in the UK.

If you’d like to get involved in the game before it changes, you can buy tickets here. Powerball tickets are currently $2 a play and will remain so when the change takes place.