Find answers to common questions

The Powerball jackpot is expanding to the UK to strengthen the game and increase the positive impact it delivers to communities.

On average, 35% of every $2 Powerball ticket stays in the jurisdiction where it's sold to support public programs and services. Over the past 34 years, the game has generated an estimated $38 billion for good causes, including education and scholarships, veterans’ services, parks and recreation, and more.

By adding UK ticket sales to the Powerball jackpot pool, the game can support larger, faster-growing jackpots, while preserving the same Powerball experience U.S. players enjoy today, including ticket price, odds, and prize structure.

The Powerball jackpot will be the only shared prize element between U.S. and UK players.

• U.S. lotteries and The UK National Lottery will pool funds for the Powerball jackpot only.
• Each Powerball ticket purchased in the UK will contribute the same fixed U.S. dollar amount per play to the jackpot as a ticket sold in the United States.
• Funding for all lower tier prizes will remain separate between the two countries and will be administered independently.

No. Nothing changes for U.S. players.

• Ticket price remains $2 per play
• The odds remain the same
• Set cash prizes and payout structure remain the same
• Drawings will continue every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET
• Drawings will still be held at the Powerball draw studio in Florida
• U.S. jackpot winners will continue to have the option to receive their prize either as an annuity, paid as 30 increasing payments over 29 years, or a one-time cash payment.

Yes. While every ticket has the same chance to win the Powerball jackpot, regardless of where it is purchased, there are some important differences between UK and U.S. tickets.

• The UK National Lottery will offer a single Powerball play for £4.
• Lower-tier prizes and payouts for UK tickets will be different from those in the U.S. and will be administered by The UK National Lottery.
• UK Powerball 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.

With more players participating, the Powerball jackpot is expected to grow faster. A larger player base simply means more contributions to the jackpot, not different odds.

Importantly:

• The $2 ticket price stays the same
• The odds of winning the jackpot and lower-tier prizes do not change

A larger player base simply means more contributions to the jackpot, not different odds.

The odds of winning are unchanged because the two fields of numbers from which the winning numbers are drawn are not changing. The addition of UK players increases the jackpot size, not the odds or drawing mechanics.

Players will continue to:

• Choose five numbers from 1–69
• Choose one red Powerball number from 1–26

The addition of UK players increases the jackpot size, not the odds or drawing mechanics.

As with current Powerball practice, if there are multiple jackpot-winning tickets in a single drawing, the jackpot will be awarded on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning it is split among all winning tickets.

Example: Two winning tickets (one in the UK, one in the U.S.)

• Each ticket receives one half of the jackpot’s cash value
• One half transfers to the UK and is awarded by The UK National Lottery
• The U.S. winner may choose between an annuity or one time cash payment.

Example: Three winning tickets (one in the UK, two in the U.S.)

• The jackpot is divided into three equal shares
• One third of the jackpot’s cash value transfers to the UK and is awarded by The UK National Lottery
• Each U.S. winning ticket receives one-third of the cash value, and the winner may independently choose between an annuity or a one time cash payment

The UK National Lottery plans to launch Powerball sales this summer. A specific start date will be announced closer to launch.

Since the first Powerball drawing in 1992, the number of lotteries selling the game has expanded from 15 to all 48 U.S. lotteries. The Mississippi Lottery became the most recent U.S. lottery to start selling Powerball in 2020. Powerball has also expanded beyond the continental United States, with the U.S. Virgin Islands joining in 2002 and Puerto Rico in 2014.

Sales cut-off times vary by selling jurisdiction. Please check with your local lottery for more information.

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. Please contact your lottery with any further questions.

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.

The 10X multiplier is only in play when the advertised jackpot annuity is $150 million or less.

Powerball® tickets print the white ball numbers in numerical order of a given play. You can match the white ball numbers in any order of a given play to win a prize. The red Powerball number of a given play on your ticket must match the red Powerball drawn. Each play on a ticket is separately determined; players cannot crisscross play lines on a ticket or combine numbers from other tickets.

While there are many factors that determine the advertised Grand Prize estimate in the Powerball® game; two important ones are games sales and the annuity factor.

A number of variables can affect game sales, such as seasonality or a big Mega Millions jackpot. Traditionally, game sales are stronger for a Saturday drawing versus a Wednesday drawing.

The annuity factor, or the cost to fund an annuity prize, is another key component. The annuity factor is made up of interest rates for securities purchased to fund prize payments. The higher the interest rates, the higher the advertised Grand Prize. You might not realize that an economic reality like interest rates impact even the Powerball jackpot, but they do!

Most players think the odds of matching the Powerball to win a prize are 1 in 26, since the Powerball is drawn from a field of numbers from 1 to 26.

But consider this…

The odds of matching the Powerball ALONE are harder than 1 in 26, because there is also the chance you could match one or more white balls, in addition to the Powerball, to win another prize.

Powerball numbers are drawn from two sets of numbers, so the odds of winning a prize are calculated by combining the odds for both sets of numbers for all prize levels. The odds for matching just the Powerball are calculated by combining the odds of selecting the Powerball and the odds of not selecting any of the five numbers from the first set of numbers drawn.

Prizes must be claimed in the jurisdiction where the winning ticket was purchased. Players can generally claim a prize up to $600 at any licensed lottery retailer in the jurisdiction where they bought the ticket. Prizes over $600 can be claimed at some lottery offices, depending on the amount, and also at lottery headquarters. Please contact your lottery with any further questions.

Ticket expiration dates typically vary from 90 days to one year depending on the selling jurisdiction. The expiration date is often listed on the back of your ticket. If the expiration date is not listed, check with your lottery.

Unclaimed prizes are kept by the lottery jurisdiction. If a Grand Prize goes unclaimed, the money must be returned to all lotteries in proportion to their sales for the draw run. The lotteries then distribute the money, based on their own jurisdiction's laws, to other lottery games or to their jurisdiction's general fund, or otherwise as required by law.

Every jurisdiction has its own law on winners remaining anonymous. Some jurisdictions are required by law to provide the winner's name, city of residence, game won and prize amount to any third party that requests the information. Some jurisdictions allow winners to claim a prize as a trust or other legal entity thus allowing some anonymity from public disclosure of their information. Check with your lottery to see if taking a photo of the winner is required and what its rules are on prize claims. Regardless of how a prize is claimed, the person who purchased the winning ticket must be known to the lottery so officials can confirm you are eligible to play and to comply with other legal requirements.

Powerball jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity or a lump sum payment (cash option). Both advertised prize options are prior to federal and jurisdictional taxes. A jackpot winner who selects the annuity will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.

The cash value option, in general, is the amount of money required to be in the jackpot prize pool, on the day of the drawing, to fund the estimated jackpot annuity prize. The advertised jackpot annuity and cash value are estimates until ticket sales are final, and for the annuity, until the Multi-State Lottery Association takes bids on the purchase of securities. Check with your lottery for its rules on how to claim a jackpot prize and the correct procedure for selecting the annuity or cash value option.

If a jackpot winner dies before receiving all annual installments, the balance of the prize will be paid to the winner's estate. Upon receipt of a court order, annual prize payments will continue to be paid to the winner's heirs. Other provisions may also apply depending on the laws of the lottery paying the prize.

Lotteries will never contact you via email or telephone call to inform you that you’ve won a prize, unless you specifically entered an official lottery promotion or contest.

In addition, lotteries will never ask you to pay a fee to collect a Powerball prize. If you are asked to pay a fee to claim a prize, you are likely being scammed, and you should not share any personal or banking information with those entities.

In the past, Facebook users have reported notices that indicate Powerball is giving away prize money on Facebook. These notices are false and fraudulent. Lotteries do not contact prize winners through Facebook, unless you specifically entered an official lottery promotion or contest.