Powerball to hit stores on 21 July with £1bn jackpots

Powerball tickets will go on sale in UK stores from 21 July, giving retailers 20p commission on every £4 line sold.

The National Lottery game will launch in the UK for the first time, subject to final regulatory approval, with the first draw involving UK players taking place on 23 July.

Jackpots will start at £12m and are uncapped, meaning they can climb beyond £1bn. UK players will compete alongside those in the US for the shared jackpot, with any UK jackpot winner receiving their prize over 30 years.

Retailers will earn 5% commission on every line sold, alongside additional commission from paying out prizes in store.

Richard Dawkins, managing director of digital at Allwyn, previously told Better Retailing the size of the jackpots was expected to create spikes in demand.

“It’s the world’s biggest rolling jackpot game,” he said. “When those jackpots are way higher than this country has ever seen before, it’s going to capture the imagination of everyone.

“That’s going to absolutely drive demand, which will again mean increased footfall and sales.”

More chances for in-store payouts

The UK version of Powerball has also been adapted to create more lower-tier winners.

Players will choose five main numbers between one and 69 and one Powerball number between one and 26. Matching two main numbers will win a fixed £8 prize in a tier exclusive to UK players, while matching all five main numbers without the Powerball will win £1m.

Other prize values will vary depending on the numbers drawn and the number of winners.

Tickets must be bought by 11.55pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with draws taking place from the Powerball studio in Florida at around 4am the following morning.

Allwyn said the game is expected to generate around £1bn for UK Good Causes during its first five years.

Powerball has ‘huge talkability potential’

Dawkins previously urged retailers to help build interest in the game by talking to regular National Lottery customers ahead of its launch.

“There’s huge talkability potential with this,” he said. “We would really encourage retail partners to talk about it, have conversations with their regular players, and just ask them, ‘Did you hear the news about new Lotto? Have you heard of Powerball?’”

Allwyn chief executive Andria Vidler said the operator was planning a major launch campaign ahead of tickets going on sale.

“We’re excited to give National Lottery players the chance to dream bigger, while supporting thousands of Good Cause projects across the UK every week,” she said.

“Powerball jackpots can soar into the billions, offering breath-taking sums with the potential to transform lives and communities.”

Read more National Lottery news