LONDON — In a historic expansion of the National Lottery, lottery operator Allwyn has announced that UK players will be able to participate in the US Powerball game starting Tuesday. This marks the first time the iconic lottery has operated outside of the United States. Under the new framework, UK participants will pay £4 per line to compete alongside their American counterparts for uncapped shared jackpots that start at £12 million and have the potential to balloon into the billions, payable over a 30-year annuity period. If the current estimated US jackpot of $416 million (£311 million) continues to roll over, UK ticket holders will have their first shot at the massive prize during the opening draw this Thursday.
To cater to the local market, Allwyn has introduced a UK-exclusive prize tier: a fixed £8 reward for matching two main numbers. Matching five main numbers will also guarantee a fixed £1 million prize, while other intermediary tiers will remain variable. Allwyn Chief Executive Andria Vidler expressed excitement over the launch, emphasizing that the game will significantly boost weekly contributions to thousands of community projects. This massive rollout follows a recent, comprehensive £450 million technological upgrade by Allwyn, which migrated over 18 million player records and three billion transactions. It also comes on the heels of the June 7 overhaul of the standard £2 Lotto game, which is projected to more than double the annual number of UK millionaires from 140 to roughly 345. According to Allwyn’s 2025 financial disclosures, total National Lottery sales reached £8.1 billion, generating over £1.7 billion for good causes and £967 million in state taxes.
