Billion-Pound Jackpots Arrive: Powerball Makes Historic Move to the UK
Posted on: April 14, 2026, 08:55h.
Last updated on: April 14, 2026, 10:05h.
- Powerball launches in UK, introducing billion-pound uncapped jackpots
- UK winners receive tax-free prizes paid over 30 years
- Major Lotto overhaul set to double number of UK millionaires
Powerball, America’s biggest jackpot game, is making the jump across the Pond for the first time.
Starting this summer, UK National Lottery operator Allwyn will partner with the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) to offer Brits a shot at multi-billion-pound Powerball jackpots alongside American players.
It’s a game-changer for the UK, introducing uncapped jackpots where previously the main Lotto could roll over only five times, after which the next draw became a must-win event, with the jackpot distributed among lower-tier winners.
UK players can also take part in EuroMillions, offering a larger, continent-wide prize pool, but the top prize is capped at €250 million. By contrast, the Powerball jackpot has exceeded $1 billion six times in its history, with a record prize of $2.04 billion.
Unlike in the US, where winners can choose between a reduced lump sum or a 30-year annuity, UK winners of the new Powerball-style game will only be paid in instalments over 30 years.
However, because gambling winnings are tax-free in the UK, they would ultimately receive the full advertised jackpot—provided they lived long enough.
Delivering on Promise
In a statement Allwyn UK said Powerball is expected to generate around £1 billion (US$1.35 billion) more for good causes over the first five years, with over 30% of each ticket price funding community projects, heritage, arts and sport across the UK.
Allwyn won the estimated $80 billion (US$100 billion) tender, one of the UK’s biggest public sector contracts, in 2022 largely because it pledged to raise double the amount of its predecessor, Camelot.
But it has been hamstrung in the early years of its tenure by lawsuits challenging its bid and by the need to implement a complete tech overhaul. Allwyn CEO Andria Vidler said the move showed the company was now “delivering on its promise.”
Also in the pipeline is the biggest overhaul of the National Lottery’s draw-based Lotto game since its launch in 1994, with players set to receive two chances to win for every £2 ticket.
From June 7, the update is expected to more than double the number of Lotto millionaires, rising from around 140 a year to roughly 345.
Idaho Threat
Not everyone may be happy about Powerball going international, though.
Back in 2021, Idaho lawmakers voted to pull the state out of the game if MUSL went ahead with a plan to sell tickets in the UK and Australia over concerns about revenue flowing to foreign governments.
That never happened because MUSL put its international expansion plans on hold.
As Powerball finally prepares to expand overseas, it remains unclear whether those concerns have been resolved or simply set aside.
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