Can Foreigners Win Powerball? What the Official FAQ Actually Says (2026)

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Yes, a foreigner can win Powerball. The official answer is longer than that, though, and the part that usually gets cut is the part that matters most. This guide quotes the Powerball FAQ in full, then sets out what it says about buying over the internet, where a lottery courier fits, and what claiming and tax look like for a winner from abroad.

The FAQ answer, in full

Powerball's FAQ asks "Do you have to be a U.S. citizen or resident to play Powerball?" Its answer, unabridged: "You do not have to be a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident to play Powerball®. Players from jurisdictions where Powerball tickets are not sold, either in the United States or outside the country, when visiting a selling jurisdiction, can purchase Powerball tickets from a retailer licensed or authorized by the selling jurisdiction, if they meet the legal age requirement in the jurisdiction of purchase. Federal and jurisdictional income taxes may apply to any claimed prize money."

Read closely, it sets three conditions:

1. Where you are. It describes players "when visiting a selling jurisdiction", which means being physically in a state or territory that sells Powerball.
2. Who sells the ticket. The ticket comes "from a retailer licensed or authorized by the selling jurisdiction".
3. Age. The buyer must "meet the legal age requirement in the jurisdiction of purchase".

Citizenship and residence are not conditions. Presence, an authorised retailer and age are. The last sentence, on tax, is covered further down.

The internet warning, and where couriers fit

A second answer in the same FAQ deals with buying from a distance. Asked whether tickets can be bought over the internet, Powerball says: "Some lotteries sell Powerball® tickets over the Internet, but the service is only available to residents of that jurisdiction. The sale of Powerball tickets over the Internet or by mail across jurisdictional borders is restricted. Lotteries may refuse to pay out prize money on Powerball tickets purchased on any website other than their own."

A lottery courier, also called a lottery messenger service, sits between those two answers. You order online, and an official ticket is bought from a retailer on your behalf; a 2015 NBC News report described theLotter.com as "a company that sends people to buy lottery tickets for customers and charges a fee". theLotter's Malta licence covers "Lottery Messenger Services", and it calls itself "an independent ticket purchasing service" that is "neither associated with nor endorsed by MUSL", the Multi-State Lottery Association that coordinates the game. Its terms say ownership of the ticket "vests in you", that the scan "reflects the numbers, draw date, and other relevant details of the purchased ticket", and that the official ticket prevails if the two ever differ; lottery ticket scans explained covers this.

The FAQ does not mention couriers. A courier order is not the "visiting" case that the citizenship answer describes, and the internet answer warns that a lottery may refuse to pay on tickets bought through other websites. Whether a prize is paid is the selling lottery's decision, so weigh that before ordering.

If you decide to go ahead, theLotter's US Powerball order page is where an order is placed. In the US, couriers operate only in some states; see where lottery couriers operate. Outside the US, check on theLotter's site that its service is available in your country. Its terms require you to be at least 18, "or any higher minimum age required by the laws of the jurisdiction in which you reside", and it charges "a once-off service fee for each purchase" rather than a commission on winnings; lottery courier fees explained covers what that adds.

Two documented courier-customer wins

Courier customers from abroad have collected US jackpots. Neither documented case was a Powerball win; both were state lottery games, and in both the prize was claimed from the lottery of the state that sold the ticket.

• Oregon Megabucks, 2015. theLotter's blog says a customer from Baghdad, Iraq, won the $6.4 million jackpot in the 24 August 2015 draw. NBC News, citing the Oregon station KTVZ, reported that the ticket was bought in Bend, that "the ticketholder claimed the prize in person on Dec. 1", and that "lottery officials consulted with legal experts who told them the online sale appears to be legal."
• Florida Lotto, 2017. The Florida Lottery announced that a 60-year-old from Panama City, Panama, claimed the $30 million jackpot from the 19 July 2017 draw and took a lump sum of $20,948,543.98; that release does not mention theLotter, and the courier link rests on theLotter's blog and Wikipedia.

Both cases are historical. Neither is evidence that couriers operate in those states today, so check where lottery couriers operate for the current position.

Claiming: where, how, and what it can cost

Powerball's rule is short: "Prizes must be claimed in the jurisdiction where the winning ticket was purchased." For a courier customer that splits into two routes. theLotter says "Small prizes are credited directly to your account, while large jackpot wins may require in-person claiming with our assistance." Its terms add that you "may be required to travel to the jurisdiction where the prize must be claimed", that it is not responsible for "any travel costs, administrative fees, taxes, or other expenses" of an in-person claim, and that it may charge "reasonable administrative or courier fees" for physical prize collection where third-party services are needed, disclosed before collection.

The lotteries themselves do not charge to pay out: Powerball's FAQ says "lotteries will never ask you to pay a fee to collect a Powerball prize." A message asking for money to release a prize is a warning sign; see how to spot lottery scams. The full sequence after a win is in what happens when you win through a lottery courier.

Tax for a winner from abroad

The FAQ's last sentence, "Federal and jurisdictional income taxes may apply to any claimed prize money", is where a foreign winner's tax starts. IRS Publication 515 (2026) says nonresident aliens are subject to 30% withholding "on the gross proceeds from gambling won in the United States" unless the income is effectively connected with a US trade or business or is "exempted by treaty". Residents of the countries on its treaty list claim the exemption by giving the payer a Form W-8BEN, but the IRS text does not say whether a lottery prize counts as treaty "gambling income". The list and the gaps are in US lottery tax for foreign winners.

People in the UK now have an official route

Since 21 July 2026, The UK National Lottery has sold Powerball at £4 a play, with UK players first able to play for the jackpot in the Wednesday 22 July 2026 drawing. For someone in Britain, that is the route the game itself provides. The National Lottery's Powerball Game Procedures say its operator, Allwyn, "will not pay a prize, to a player who bought an entry into Powerball from outside the UK or Isle of Man", and a UK jackpot is paid over 30 years rather than as a one-time cash option. The differences are explained in US Powerball in the UK.

Mega Millions gives a different answer

Mega Millions also welcomes visitors who buy from a US retailer, but its FAQ is explicit about agents: "Mega Millions rules prohibit the purchase of tickets by agents representing players in other jurisdictions." It adds that its tickets "are NOT sold outside the United States" and that "Not all American lotteries will honor a ticket purchased online by a player through one of these companies." That is why this guide has no Mega Millions order link. The two games are compared in Powerball vs Mega Millions.

Draw results are on theLotter's US Powerball results page and theLotter's results pages. For the Saturday 3 October 2026 draw, powerball.com advertised an estimated jackpot of $440 million, with a cash value of $183.1 million, as of 2 October 2026.

Sources: powerball.com FAQ and homepage (jackpot as of 2 October 2026), megamillions.com FAQ, IRS Publication 515 (2026) and The UK National Lottery Powerball Game Procedures. Winner accounts: NBC News citing KTVZ (December 2015) and the Florida Lottery release via WTVY (August 2017). Courier terms: theLotter homepage, How It Works page, blog and Terms of Use v2.12.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to be a US citizen to win Powerball?

No. Powerball's FAQ says you do not have to be a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident to play, and that players from jurisdictions where Powerball is not sold, when visiting a selling jurisdiction, can buy from a retailer licensed or authorized by that jurisdiction if they meet its legal age requirement. Federal and jurisdictional income taxes may apply to prize money.

Can you buy Powerball tickets online from another country?

Powerball's FAQ says lotteries that sell online do so only to residents of their own jurisdiction, that sales over the Internet or by mail across jurisdictional borders are restricted, and that lotteries may refuse to pay out prize money on tickets purchased on any website other than their own.

Have courier customers from abroad won US jackpots?

Yes, in state games rather than Powerball. A customer from Iraq claimed a $6.4 million Oregon Megabucks jackpot in person in December 2015, and the Florida Lottery announced that a winner from Panama claimed a $30 million Florida Lotto jackpot from a July 2017 draw; that release does not mention theLotter, and the courier link rests on theLotter's blog and Wikipedia.

Where is a Powerball prize claimed?

Powerball's FAQ says prizes must be claimed in the jurisdiction where the winning ticket was purchased. theLotter says small prizes are credited to the customer's account, while large jackpot wins may require claiming in person.

Can people in the UK play Powerball?

Yes. Since 21 July 2026 The UK National Lottery has sold Powerball at £4 a play, and its jackpot is paid over 30 years rather than as a one-time cash option.