Powerball UK Launches on 21st July with Possible £1 Billion Jackpot
The National Lottery has announced the official launch of Powerball ticket sales in the UK as 21st July 2026, marking the start of a new era of the UK lottery. The first Powerball drawing will take place on Thursday, 23rd July, just two days after tickets become available to buy.
It’s a very exciting month for UK-based lottery fans, especially for those with a gleaming eye for the United States lotteries. Powerball UK will be an additional main draw game amongst the favourites in the United Kingdom, alongside regulars like Lotto and EuroMillions.
What Is Powerball?
Powerball is a massively popular draw game in the United States. It takes place three times a week — Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays — and offers enormous jackpots that often rise to over $1 billion.
If you’re wondering how to play, it involves picking five main numbers between 1 and 69 for the main set, and a Powerball number from 1 to 26. As with other games in the UK, you can self-choose these numbers or use a Lucky Dip. You can play your numbers up to four weeks in advance.
The game has never been linked with a different country before, which makes its introduction into the United Kingdom a rare and special occasion. Entering puts you in the odds pool with lottery players across 48 states in the USA. Rebecca Paul, President & CEO of the Tennessee Lottery and former President of the World Lottery Association, told outlets that the UK’s involvement allows for “faster-growing jackpots, more excitement and even greater impact for the communities we serve.”
How UK Powerball Differs
The basic format remains the same, however there will be some features unique to the UK. This includes adjustments to the prizes. Firstly, there will be a prize tier for matching two main numbers for a fixed prize of £8. Secondly, it will feature a Match 5 tier with a fixed prize of £1 million.
Another difference is the lack of a lump sum option if you win the jackpot. UK flagship draw games like Lotto and EuroMillions offer a single, tax-free sum, but the UK Powerball jackpot will be annuity-only. This means it will be paid out in 30 yearly instalments over 29 years, with each payment increasing by 5% to counter inflation.
An Endless Jackpot
One other feature that has got lottery players excited is the endless jackpot feature that ensures there is no cap on the number of rollovers that can occur if there are no jackpot winners. This means the jackpot can shoot up to the stars.
The minimum jackpot amount is $20 million (around £12 million), but the prize potential is exponential and unending. To win the jackpot, you must match all five main numbers plus the Powerball.
How to Enter
You can play Powerball UK from 21st July by getting a playslip from your local shop or by entering online. Tickets cost £4 per play, and you can check back here to find out what happened in the draw.
All that remains is to see who the first UK winner will be. Will a UK winner emerge within the first few drawings, or will it take months (or even years) for this to happen?
Stay tuned for the UK Powerball lottery results with Lottery.co.uk.
Published: Monday 6th July 2026Lottery News News Archive