Get all the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Powerball, including queries about how to play or how to claim prizes. Just tap a question to get started, or use the contact form in the footer to get in touch.
When do drawings take place?
Drawings take place at 4am on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings in the UK, whilst being advertised as Monday, Wednesday and Saturday jackpots. This is due to the time difference from the 10:59PM EST draw time in the USA.
What time do ticket sales close in the UK?
Ticket sales close at 11:55pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights.
You can play up to 4 weeks in advance for every ticket. Just ask for this option when you buy your ticket, or tick the option on your play slip.
What is a Lucky Dip?
A Lucky Dip is a completely random line that the lottery terminal will generate for you. It will pick a completely random set of five numbers and Powerball from the respective ball pools.
What is the Power Play?
Power Play is a USA only option that you cannot add to your ticket in the UK. Its used to multiple non-jackpot prizes and costs more to enter your ticket with this option included. Its not an option to add in the UK at launch, but might be added in the future.
How do I win a prize?
You win a prize by matching the numbers on your ticket to those that were drawn. Match more numbers to win bigger prizes. You can match just the Powerball to win a prize, or two main numbers.
Match
Prize
5 + Powerball
Jackpot
5
£1 million
4 + Powerball
£33,000
4
£1,100
3 + Powerball
£500
3
£52.10
2 + Powerball
£30.80
1 + Powerball
£15.30
Powerball
£11.90
2
£8
Is the jackpot shared if more than one person wins?
The jackpot is always split equally amongst all the winners. So if the jackpot was £100 million and there were two winners, both would get £50 million. All other prizes are fixed and you will get the full amount yourself.
Do I need to match the winning numbers in the exact order they are drawn?
No – you can match the numbers in any order as long as they are on your ticket.
How is the jackpot calculated?
The jackpot pool is made up of a percentage of all ticket sales. For the next jackpot, a prediction on the number of ticket sales is used to gauge how much will be in that pot when the draw takes place. That’s why at high jackpot amounts you might see the advertised jackpot increase if ticket sales are high.
How do I claim prizes?
You claim prizes by taking your winning ticket to an authorised retailer where they will check it for you. Bigger prizes must be claimed from the official National Lottery.
How long do I have to claim a prize?
You have 180 days to claim your prize in the UK before your ticket expires. Make sure you check them quickly!
What is Double Play?
Double Play is another USA only option. The Double Play draw is a second draw where new numbers are drawn and your line is also entered into that draw to possibly win more prizes, whilst costing more on each entry. Its played across a number of US states, but the UK is not included.
£379 Million
