US Powerball in the UK: How The National Lottery Version Works (2026)
Since 21 July 2026 The UK National Lottery has sold Powerball at £4 a play. The jackpot is shared with the US game, but the price, the payout and the tax position differ.
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Powerball is now sold in Britain by The UK National Lottery. Ticket sales began on 21 July 2026, and UK players could first play for the jackpot in the Wednesday 22 July 2026 drawing. It is the same jackpot as the American game, but not the same product: the price, the lower prizes, the way the jackpot is paid and the tax position all differ. Everything below comes from The National Lottery's own Powerball rules, powerball.com and UK and US government sources.
What is shared, and what is not
Only the jackpot is shared. Powerball's FAQ says "The Powerball jackpot will be the only shared prize element between U.S. and UK players" and "Funding for all lower tier prizes will remain separate between the two countries and will be administered independently." Each UK ticket "will contribute the same fixed U.S. dollar amount per play to the jackpot as a ticket sold in the United States."
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The National Lottery's Powerball Game Procedures describe it from the UK side: the game "is a separate game to the US Powerball game", its jackpot is pooled with the US game's, and "All other Prizes in the Powerball Game are available to be won in the UK and Isle of Man only." If tickets on both sides of the Atlantic win the jackpot in the same draw, it is split between them; in powerball.com's two-ticket example, each ticket receives half of the jackpot's cash value, and the UK half "transfers to the UK and is awarded by The UK National Lottery".
Price, numbers and draw times
A UK play costs £4; a US play costs $2. The number fields are identical: five main numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball from 1 to 26. powerball.com says "every ticket has the same chance to win the Powerball jackpot, regardless of where it is purchased", and its prize chart puts that chance at 1 in 292,201,338.
The lower prizes are where the games part. powerball.com describes "9 ways to win" in the US game. The UK procedures list ten prize categories, including a fixed prize for matching two main numbers alone, and UK lower-tier prizes are administered by The UK National Lottery.
The draw itself is American. The procedures explain that "Powerball Draws take place in the early hours (UK time) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays", because the US draws are held on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings. UK sales close at 11:55pm the evening before each draw: Monday for Tuesday, Wednesday for Thursday and Saturday for Sunday. Entries are sold online and at retailers in the UK and Isle of Man.
How a UK jackpot is paid
As standard there is no cash option. powerball.com says UK jackpot winners "will not receive a one-time cash option. Instead, the jackpot will be paid out over 30 years, administered by The UK National Lottery." The Game Specific Rules set out how:
- Prizes "must be claimed in person", starting with a Validation Meeting with Allwyn, the company licensed to operate The National Lottery, and there are at least two meetings before the first payment.
- The first payment covers year one; the winner chooses whether it is 1% or 2% of the "Applicable Jackpot Prize Fund", the prize money once converted to sterling.
- The rest, less the costs of arranging it (including any broker fees), buys a 29-year "stepped" annuity from a UK or Isle of Man provider, with payments that increase each year. "Once the Annuity Policy has been set up it cannot be changed, surrendered or cashed-in".
There are exceptions. A winner who is "not resident in the United Kingdom or the Isle of Man on the date You claim Your Prize" receives a lump sum instead of an annuity, and the rules also allow a lump sum for claims made on behalf of a deceased player, as an option for syndicates of more than 35 members, and where an annuity cannot be arranged. The rules explain that a lump sum is lower than the advertised jackpot, because the advertised figure is "the expected total amount a winner will have received at the end of the 30-year payment period".
The US game offers a choice instead: an annuity "paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment". How that choice works is covered in lottery jackpot vs cash value.
Why the UK jackpot figure is different
The two advertised jackpots are built differently, so converting one currency into the other does not compare them. powerball.com says "The estimated U.S. Powerball jackpot is advertised in U.S. dollars pre-tax, while the UK jackpot is advertised in pounds post-tax (using the highest applicable UK tax rate)." The UK procedures add that the advertised figure is an estimate of what a winner will receive over 30 years, using exchange rates at the time it is advertised, and that the amount actually paid can vary with exchange rates after the claim, "the winner’s circumstances and age" and any additional taxes payable "as a result of the Jackpot Prize Fund originating from the US".
For reference, powerball.com advertised an estimated US jackpot of $440 million, with a cash value of $183.1 million, for the Saturday 3 October 2026 draw, as of 2 October 2026. In the UK that draw falls in the early hours of Sunday. The sterling figure is on The National Lottery's own site; this guide does not convert one into the other.
Tax: the general rule and the Powerball detail
gov.uk lists "premium bond or National Lottery wins" among the things you do not pay Income Tax on. For this game, the Game Specific Rules add two points:
- US tax forms. Winners complete US tax forms because "the Jackpot Prize Fund originates from the US", and "Depending on Your individual circumstances, and where necessary, US Withholding Tax may be deducted" before payment.
- Annuity interest. Each annuity payment has a capital and an interest element; "the capital element is usually tax-free and the interest element is subject to applicable tax." Allwyn "recommends that You take independent financial advice (including tax advice)".
The rules say this reflects Allwyn's understanding of HMRC and IRS practice "as at 1st April 2026". The United Kingdom is on the IRS Publication 515 list of countries whose residents' gambling income is not taxable by the United States, but the IRS text does not say whether a lottery prize counts as "gambling income" for that purpose. That question, and the Form W-8BEN the IRS mentions, are covered in US lottery tax for foreign winners.
Scams, and the licensed seller
A new game with a big jackpot attracts fake "you have won" messages. The Gambling Commission, the body that regulates The National Lottery, tells players to "always check that the gambling business is licensed by us or a local authority" and to "be aware of lotteries that ask you to send cash overseas, phone an international number or premium rate number". Powerball's FAQ adds that "lotteries will never ask you to pay a fee to collect a Powerball prize". More warning signs are in how to spot lottery scams.
For someone in the UK, The National Lottery is the official seller of this game. Powerball's FAQ says "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." The UK procedures say Allwyn will not pay a prize "to a player who bought an entry into Powerball from outside the UK or Isle of Man".
Checking results
The winning numbers come from the US draw, so theLotter's US Powerball results page shows the numbers that decide UK entries too; UK prize amounts differ and are administered by The National Lottery. Other draws are on theLotter's results pages.
Sources: powerball.com FAQ, homepage and prize chart (jackpot as of 2 October 2026); The UK National Lottery Powerball Game Procedures and Game Specific Rules; gov.uk Income Tax; Gambling Commission; IRS Publication 515 (2026). Information only, not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
When did The UK National Lottery start selling Powerball?
Powerball's FAQ says UK ticket sales began on 21 July 2026, with players in the UK able to play for the jackpot in the Wednesday 22 July 2026 drawing.
How much does Powerball cost in the UK?
£4 a play, against $2 a play in the US. The jackpot odds are the same, 1 in 292,201,338, because the number fields are the same.
Can a UK Powerball winner take the jackpot as cash?
Not as standard. The jackpot is paid over 30 years, as a first payment of 1% or 2% followed by a 29-year stepped annuity. The rules provide a lower lump sum in some cases, including a winner who is not resident in the UK or Isle of Man when claiming.
Is a UK Powerball jackpot tax-free?
gov.uk says you do not pay Income Tax on National Lottery wins, but the Powerball rules say US withholding tax may be deducted depending on individual circumstances and that the interest element of each annuity payment is subject to applicable tax. Allwyn recommends independent tax advice.
Why is the UK jackpot figure so different from the US figure?
powerball.com says the US jackpot is advertised in dollars before tax, while the UK jackpot is advertised in pounds after tax, using the highest applicable UK tax rate, so the two figures are not directly comparable.
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