National Lottery reveals new £1bn UK game and ‘biggest ever’ Lotto shake-up

This is alongside the announcement of a new UK version of Powerball that was previously only available in America.

Allwyn has shared that Powerball will be Britain’s first “£1 billion-plus mega-jackpot game” if it clears final regulatory approval.

But before we find out more about the new game, let’s take a look at the recently announced Lotto change and how it could affect you.

This is BIG. Watch this space 👀

*Game launch is subject to final regulatory approval from our regulator, the Gambling Commission.

Rules apply. 18+ #NationalLottery pic.twitter.com/HlHrLbGInA

— The National Lottery (@TNLUK) April 14, 2026

How is National Lottery’s Lotto changing?

From early summer, a new two-round format in every Lotto draw will give players two chances to win.

The fresh structure will see two sets of six main balls and a bonus ball drawn using two separate draw machines.

This means a player could win in round one, round two, or both rounds, all from a single Lotto line.

The price will stay the same at £2 a line, as will the number of balls.

Allwyn has said the change improves players’ chances of winning any prize from one in 9.3 to one in 4.9 and is expected to more than double the number of Lotto millionaires from around 140 a year to around 345.

What will the Lotto jackpot and prizes be after ‘biggest ever’ change?

As with the current format, Lotto jackpots will begin at £2 million and can roll over up to five times before a must-be-won event on the sixth consecutive draw.

Players will still win a prize when they match two or more main numbers.

There are two ways to become a millionaire on the game – through a guaranteed £1 million-plus jackpot for matching six main numbers, and a £1 million fixed prize for anyone matching five main numbers plus the bonus ball.

The jackpot will be shared across both rounds, while all other prize tiers will continue to offer fixed cash prizes, paid per round.

The Lotto HotPicks add-on game will also move to the new two-round format, and will continue to be priced at £1.

Tickets for the new Lotto will go on sale from Sunday, June 7, with the first draw taking place on Wednesday, June 10.

The Lotto draws will continue to take place at around 8pm every Saturday and Wednesday.

National Lottery set to introduce new game with ‘£1 billion-plus mega-jackpot’

Founded in 1992 in the US, Powerball is the world’s biggest rolling jackpot game, with an uncapped jackpot starting at £12 million.

In 2022, its biggest-ever winner collected a prize of more than 2.04 billion US dollars (£1.51 billion).

Soon, those in the UK will be able to play alongside players in the America for a chance to win the shared jackpot.

UK Powerball players will pick five main numbers ranging from numbers from one to 69, and one Powerball number from one to 26, or they can choose a Lucky Dip.

Have you ever lost your lottery ticket and found it years later? (Image: Getty Images)

The prize will be paid out over 30 years to UK jackpot winners.

However, the UK game will feature an extra “Match 2 main numbers” prize tier, which is only available to Brits and offers a fixed prize of £8.

Tickets will be available to buy online or in store by 11.55pm UK time the night before the draws.

These will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the draws then happening at around 4am the next morning UK time (on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday), from the Powerball studio in Florida.

Allwyn has reached agreement with the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) in the US to bring Powerball to the UK, although an exact launch date is yet to be set as it waits for final regulatory approval.

When do National Lottery results come out?

See when you can expect to find out if you’re a lucky winner in the following National Lottery games and draws:

• Euromillions – every Tuesday and Friday
• Set For Life – every Monday and Thursday
• Lotto – every Wednesday and Saturday
• Thunderball – every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
• Lotto Hotpicks – every Wednesday and Saturday
• Euromillions Hotpicks – every Tuesday and Friday

What’s your favourite National Lottery draw? Let us know in the comments below.