The U.K. expansion is the result of a partnership between the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball in the United States, and Allwyn UK — the same company that operates EuroMillions in Britain. It marks the first time any lottery outside the U.S. has ever contributed to the Powerball jackpot pool.

For U.K. players, the appeal is straightforward: Powerball offers jackpots far larger than anything currently available in Europe. EuroMillions, which runs across nine European countries, awarded its maximum prize of 250 million euros — roughly $285 million — to winners from France, Ireland, and Austria in 2025. The largest Powerball jackpot ever paid out topped $2 billion.

Powerball vs. EuroMillions: How the Two Lotteries Stack Up

There is one catch for U.K. players that American lottery fans should know about: tickets bought in Britain count only toward the Powerball jackpot — not toward the lower-tier prizes that U.S. players compete for in every drawing. The U.K. will have its own separate structure for those smaller prizes.

Prize amounts advertised in each country will also differ. The U.S. lists jackpots before taxes, while the U.K. will show figures that reflect its different tax treatment. Currency conversion adds another layer of complexity, meaning the same jackpot can look like a different number on either side of the Atlantic.

How Much Do You Know About Powerball?

Five questions. The answers may surprise you.

What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot with a single ticket?

• 1 in 14 million — That's actually closer to the odds for some European lotteries. Powerball's odds are far longer — 1 in 292.2 million per ticket, whether you're buying in the U.S. or now in the U.K.
• 1 in 292.2 million — Correct. The odds are 1 in 292.2 million — and lottery officials confirmed those odds are identical for U.K. players entering the pool this week.
• 1 in 500 million — Even longer than reality. The actual odds are 1 in 292.2 million — staggering, but not quite that extreme. The U.K. expansion does nothing to change them.
• 1 in 50 million — Much shorter than the real figure. Powerball's jackpot odds are 1 in 292.2 million, making it one of the longest-odds lottery games in the world.

Where was the record-setting $2 billion Powerball ticket purchased?

• New York — Not New York — the ticket was bought in California in 2022. The $2 billion-plus prize remains the largest Powerball payout in history.
• Texas — Texas is one of the 45 states where Powerball is sold, but the record jackpot was won in California in 2022, paying just over $2 billion.
• California — Correct. A ticket purchased in California in 2022 won just over $2 billion — the largest Powerball payout on record, roughly equivalent to 1.5 billion British pounds.
• Florida — Florida is a major Powerball market, but the record was set in California in 2022. The $2 billion-plus prize is what U.K. players are now chasing too.

How do U.K. Powerball ticket purchases differ from U.S. purchases?

• U.K. tickets cost more than $2 — Ticket price isn't the key difference. The main distinction is that U.K. tickets count only toward the Powerball jackpot — not lower-tier U.S. prizes. U.K. players have a separate lower-tier prize structure.
• U.K. tickets only compete for the jackpot, not U.S. lower-tier prizes — Correct. U.K. tickets go toward the Powerball jackpot only. British players have their own separate structure for smaller prizes, not the same lower-tier payouts U.S. players compete for.
• U.K. players draw on different days than U.S. players — There is only one Powerball drawing — it's shared. Drawings continue Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays for all players, U.S. and U.K. alike.
• U.K. winners can choose a cash lump sum — Actually the opposite. U.K. Powerball jackpots are paid over 30 years with no cash option. In the U.S., winners can choose between the annuity and a lump-sum cash payout — and nearly all choose cash.

Which organization partnered with the U.S. lottery association to bring Powerball to the U.K.?

• The National Lottery — Not the National Lottery. The U.K. partnership was formed with Allwyn UK — the company that also operates EuroMillions in Britain.
• Camelot Group — Camelot was a previous U.K. lottery operator, but the Powerball expansion deal was struck with Allwyn UK, announced in April 2026.
• Allwyn UK — Correct. The Multi-State Lottery Association in the U.S. partnered with Allwyn UK — which also runs EuroMillions across nine European countries — to bring Powerball to Britain.
• Eurojackpot — Eurojackpot is a separate European lottery. The U.K. deal was with Allwyn UK, which operates EuroMillions and struck the Powerball agreement first announced in April 2026.

To play Powerball, players choose five white-ball numbers and one red Powerball. What are the correct number ranges?

• 1–75 white balls, 1–15 Powerball — Those were the ranges under an older format. The current game uses 1–69 for white balls and 1–26 for the red Powerball number.
• 1–69 white balls, 1–26 Powerball — Correct. Players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26. Those ranges apply to every player — U.S. and U.K. alike.
• 1–50 white balls, 1–10 Powerball — Those would actually improve your odds considerably. The real ranges are wider: 1–69 for white balls and 1–26 for the Powerball, which is part of why the jackpot odds sit at 1 in 292.2 million.
• 1–59 white balls, 1–35 Powerball — Close to a previous format, but not the current game. Today's Powerball uses 1–69 white balls and 1–26 for the red Powerball number.

U.S. lottery officials are betting the U.K. expansion accelerates the speed at which jackpots grow. A larger global pool of ticket buyers means the prize climbs faster between drawings — which historically is what draws more casual players in and pushes jackpots even higher. It's a flywheel that has produced the game's most eye-popping prizes.

For everyday American players, the practical day-to-day experience changes very little. Tickets still cost $2. Drawings still happen three times a week. The odds remain exactly 1 in 292.2 million — there is no mathematical benefit or penalty from U.K. players joining the pool. What changes is the ceiling: bigger jackpots, reached faster.

How Powerball Went Global

• 2022 — Record jackpot: $2 billion+ won in California
• April 2026 — Expansion announced: Multi-State Lottery Association and Allwyn UK reach agreement
• July 22, 2026 — U.K. ticket sales begin — first country outside the U.S. to join the jackpot pool
• July 23, 2026 — First Powerball drawing open to U.K. players

Common Powerball Misconceptions

U.K. players joining will make it harder for Americans to win.

Verdict: false

Each ticket carries the same fixed odds of 1 in 292.2 million, regardless of how many total tickets are sold globally. More players do not change any individual ticket's probability.

U.K. players compete for the same lower-tier prizes as U.S. players.

Verdict: false

U.K. tickets count only toward the Powerball jackpot. British players have a separate lower-tier prize structure distinct from the tiers American players compete for.

A bigger global player base should produce faster-growing jackpots.

Verdict: true

U.S. lottery officials stated the expanded player base will allow Powerball jackpots to grow more quickly, likely increasing sales as more people are drawn to larger grand prizes.

U.K. jackpot winners can take their winnings as a lump-sum cash payment.

Verdict: false

U.K. Powerball jackpots will be paid over 30 years. Unlike U.S. winners — nearly all of whom choose the cash option — British winners have no lump-sum alternative.

How Powerball Works: The Numbers Behind the Game

Powerball is played in 45 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — and now the United Kingdom. Players choose five white-ball numbers from 1 to 69, then one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. Match all six, and you win the jackpot.

The odds of matching all six numbers are 1 in 292.2 million. To put that in perspective, EuroMillions — the competing European lottery — carries jackpot odds of roughly 1 in 139.8 million, making Powerball more than twice as hard to win and historically capable of producing far larger prizes.

Jackpots grow each drawing that passes without a winner. The U.S. advertises prize amounts before taxes. In the U.K., advertised amounts will reflect that country's different tax treatment, and currency conversion means the same jackpot looks like a different figure on each side of the Atlantic.

For American players, the U.K. expansion is ultimately a story about scale — and about what happens when the world's most ambitious lottery finds more players willing to dream at long odds. The jackpot that drew a California winner to $2 billion in 2022 was fueled by months of rollovers and surging ticket sales. With an entire new country now in the pool, that kind of fever could arrive faster than ever.

The odds of winning haven't changed. But the size of what you're playing for just got a little harder to ignore.

Powerball: Key Facts for Players

• Drawing Days: Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
• Ticket Price: Each Powerball ticket costs $2 in the United States.
• Where It's Played: 45 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands — and now the United Kingdom.
• Jackpot Odds: 1 in 292.2 million per ticket — the same for every player in every country.

Sources & References

• Primary source: npr.org
• Multi-State Lottery Association / Allwyn UK — Powerball U.K. expansion announcement and rules, April 2026