Powerball Expanding To The United Kingdom
Powerball jackpots are expected to grow as the potential player pool expands this summer
1 min
The British are coming. And this time, they want in on the jackpot.
For the first time ever, Powerball is expanding outside of America, and it’s doing so by offering lottery players in the United Kingdom access to the game.
This is not nothing; There are roughly 53 million citizens 18 or older in the U.K., meaning the potential pool of players in Powerball is about to jump by nearly 20%.
The deal, between the Multi-State Lottery Association and Allwyn UK, the government-authorized operator of the UK National Lottery, was announced Tuesday.
Cost to play the thrice-weekly Powerball will remain at $2 per ticket.
“This partnership expands the player base in a way that benefits every jurisdiction participating in Powerball,” Matt Strawn, Powerball product group chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, said in a press release. “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.”
For their part, Allwyn UK is in this to bring more variety and bigger prizes to its customers.
“We’re delighted to be joining the Powerball community,” Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn UK, said in the release. “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.”
No changes
Now, the big question for American players: Does this change anything stateside?
The answer: No. Same numbers, same odds, same $2 ticket, same drawings Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET out of Florida. The only thing that changes is jackpots should grow faster, because more people are playing.
Worth noting: More than half of every $2 ticket stays in the jurisdiction where it was sold, funding education, scholarships, veterans services, parks, and other public programs. Powerball has generated an estimated $38 billion for those causes over the last 34 years.
“For decades, Powerball proceeds have provided real benefits to Americans, year after year. This will not change,” Strawn said. “This summer’s expansion to the UK helps secure the game’s future as a dependable source of funding for the public programs and services our players care about.”
The U.S. and U.K. lotteries will pool funds for the jackpot only. Lower-tier prizes will stay separate. U.K. players will have a different prize structure below the jackpot, but they’ll contribute the same fixed dollar amount per ticket into the jackpot pool as American players.
The UK National Lottery will also be held to the same security standards and compliance reviews as every U.S. lottery in the game.
As for timing, the U.K.’s first Powerball drawing is expected this summer, pending final approval from the nation’s Gambling Commission.
