UK retailers begin selling Powerball tickets ahead of first £300m draw

Powerball tickets from The National Lottery are now on sale at retailers across the UK, with players able to enter the first draw on 23 July for an estimated £300m jackpot.

According to Allwyn, retailers can expect increased footfall and sales driven by Powerball‘s jackpots, backed by a multimillion-pound advertising campaign. Retailers will earn 20p commission on every £4 line sold, alongside additional earning opportunities from in-store prize payouts.

The first UK Powerball ticket was sold at Sewell on the Go in Pocklington, York.

Players have until 11.55pm today (22 July) to buy tickets for the first draw, which will take place at around 4am (UK time) on 23 July. Thereafter, draws will be held three times a week from the Powerball studio in Florida.

Powerball jackpots start at £10m and are uncapped, meaning they can grow into the hundreds of millions of pounds and beyond £1bn. A shared jackpot is won by matching five main numbers and the Powerball, with UK winners receiving the prize over 30 years.

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

Priced at £4 per line, the game also includes a UK-exclusive ‘Match 2 main numbers’ prize worth a fixed £8 and a fixed £1m prize for matching all five main numbers. Players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26, or can opt for a Lucky Dip.

Ali Awan, of H & A Convenience Store in Gateshead, told Better Retailing customers were still getting used to the new game.

“There’s been the older generation, obviously, always inquiring about what it is and what it’s about. Some of them have tried it and some are thinking about giving it a try. It’s going to take a little bit of time, just like everything else.”

Ali said the impact on sales had been modest so far, with lottery sales up by around 5% in his store.

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: “I’ve seen first-hand how a big win can transform lives. But when people start imagining jackpots in the hundreds of millions of pounds, the conversation changes.”

“Powerball brings a whole new level of possibility to UK players. It’s a chance to win the biggest jackpot ever offered through The National Lottery and to dream bigger than ever before.”

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