Powerball expanding to the UK

What are the odds you win the lottery?

What are the odds you win the lottery? You're more likely to be struck by lightning.

One of America’s most popular lotteries is expanding this summer. 

Powerball tickets will soon be available to players in the United Kingdom. 

Powerball goes international

Big picture view:

The Powerball lottery game is expanding this summer to include England, Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom. 

What's next:

The deal still must be approved by a U.K. gambling commission, but, once that goes through, U.K. players will be able to start buying Powerball tickets. 

Local perspective:

For Americans, nothing changes. Tickets will still cost $2 – and the long, long odds of winning the jackpot are still 1 in 292.2 million, according to lottery officials. 

Drawings will still be held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. 

But with a new group of players now also buying in for tickets, lottery officials say the jackpots will grow more quickly.

Lotteries from 48 states already contribute to the pool, with the UK National Lottery now marking the next. It’s also the first time a non-U.S. lottery will contribute to the jackpot. 

RELATED: Lottery ticket sales soar - See how much players won in your state

US vs. UK Powerball prizes

FILE - Number slips for Powerball lottery tickets inside a California store in August 2025. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Big picture view:

The same jackpot amount will be available in dollars to those here in America, and in pounds to those in the U.K. Smaller prizes will be available in both countries. 

Dig deeper:

Although jackpots will be the same in each country, estimated prize amounts will be different due to conversion rates and because the U.S. advertises prize amounts pretax, unlike in the U.K.

U.K. Powerball jackpots also will be paid over 30 years, whereas U.S. winners have a choice between cash or taking their winnings spread over years through an annuity. (Nearly all winners opt for cash, according to The Associated Press.)

Largest Powerball winnings

Meanwhile:

The U.S. has seen more than a dozen lottery jackpot prizes exceed $1 billion since 2016.

By the numbers:

The largest lottery jackpot ever won was in 2022 – more than $2 billion to someone who bought a ticket in Los Angeles.