Powerball Around the World
One name, four quite different games. The American original now sells tickets in Britain, while Australia and South Africa run Powerballs of their own, each with its own numbers, odds and rules. Here’s how they compare, and how UK Lotto measures up against them.
For more than thirty years, Powerball was a purely American affair. Then, on 21 July 2026, it crossed the Atlantic. The UK National Lottery began selling tickets for the US draw, the first time a lottery outside the United States had paid into the Powerball jackpot.
A ticket bought in Birmingham now goes into exactly the same draw as one bought in Ohio, with exactly the same 1 in 292,201,338 chance of the jackpot. If a ticket on either side of the Atlantic matches all six numbers, it’s the same pot of money, split equally between every winning ticket wherever it was bought.
That shared jackpot is where the similarity ends, though. The price, the smaller prizes and the way the top prize is paid out all depend on where you bought your ticket.
In short: same draw, same odds, same jackpot. But a UK ticket costs £4, has its own set of smaller prizes, and a UK jackpot is paid over 30 years with no lump-sum option.
Meet the Powerballs
US Powerball
Three nights a week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59pm Eastern), five white balls come out of a drum of 69 and a single red Powerball from 26. A play costs $2.
US jackpot winners get a choice most lottery players can only dream about: take the prize as 30 payments over 29 years, or take a smaller lump sum up front. Nearly all of them take the cash.
UK Powerball
Same balls, same draw, but for British players it happens at around 4am, so the results are waiting when you wake up on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday. Tickets cost £4, sales close at 11:55pm the night before, and jackpots start at £12 million with no cap.
The UK has its own smaller prizes. At launch, two main numbers won a fixed £8 and five main numbers a guaranteed £1 million. The catch? Win the jackpot and it’s paid over 30 years. There’s no lump sum.
Australian Powerball
Australia’s Powerball shares nothing with the American game but its name. Every Thursday night, seven numbers are drawn from 35, plus a Powerball from 20.
That works out at jackpot odds of 1 in 134,490,400, less than half as long as the US draw. When nobody wins Division One the jackpot rolls over and grows, and prizes are paid as a lump sum rather than an annuity.
South African PowerBall
South Africa’s National Lottery draws its PowerBall on Tuesday and Friday evenings: five numbers from 50, plus a PowerBall from 20.
At 1 in 42,375,200, it has the shortest jackpot odds of any Powerball, roughly seven times better than the US draw. It rolls over too, though its jackpots are on a far smaller scale.
UK Lotto
Not a Powerball at all, but it’s the yardstick most British players measure everything else against. Six numbers from 59, drawn on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 8pm.
Since June 2026, every £2 line plays two separate rounds, drawn from two machines, so each line gets two goes at the jackpot. Each round is 1 in 45,057,474, and jackpots start at £2 million.
Side by side
Here are all five games together. One thing to bear in mind before you compare jackpots: the UK advertises its Powerball jackpot in pounds after tax, while the US figure is in dollars before tax. The two headline numbers will never match, even though they describe the same prize.
| Game | Played in | Numbers | Jackpot odds | Draws | Price | The jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Powerball | United Kingdom | 5 from 69 + Powerball from 26 | 1 in 292,201,338 | Tue, Thu & Sun, about 4am UK | £4 | Shared with the US; paid over 30 years, no lump sum |
| US Powerball | United States | 5 from 69 + Powerball from 26 | 1 in 292,201,338 | Mon, Wed & Sat, 10:59pm US Eastern | US$2 | 30-payment annuity or lump-sum cash |
| Australian Powerball | Australia | 7 from 35 + Powerball from 20 | 1 in 134,490,400 | Thursday | Varies by entry type | Rolls over until won; paid as a lump sum |
| South African PowerBall | South Africa | 5 from 50 + PowerBall from 20 | 1 in 42,375,200 | Tue & Fri | See the local operator | Separate local game; rolls over until won |
| UK Lotto (for comparison) | United Kingdom | 6 from 59 | 1 in 45,057,474 per round | Wed & Sat, 8pm | £2 a line (plays two rounds) | Separate UK game; jackpots from £2m |
What the comparison tells you
If jackpot odds are what matter to you, the order is clear. South Africa’s PowerBall is by far the gentlest at about 1 in 42.4 million. UK Lotto is close behind at 1 in 45.1 million per round, and because every £2 line now plays two rounds, a Lotto line gets two shots at that each draw night. Australia sits in the middle at 1 in 134.5 million, and the shared US and UK draw is the longest shot by a distance.
Those long odds are the whole point of the American game. The harder a jackpot is to win, the more often it rolls over, and that’s how Powerball builds the billion-dollar prizes the other games can’t get anywhere near. You’re trading a much smaller chance of winning for a much bigger prize if you do.
For a British player, the more practical question is what the UK ticket gets you. Your £4 buys the same jackpot chance as an American’s $2, a set of smaller prizes designed for UK players, and a top prize paid in pounds over 30 years rather than as a lump sum. Whether that annuity is a drawback or a blessing probably depends on how much you’d trust yourself with a nine-figure cheque.
Playing from the UK
The UK ticket is the simple option: buy it through The National Lottery, and any prize is paid by The National Lottery. Australian and South African tickets are generally sold only to local residents, so from the UK there are two other routes. A lottery concierge service can buy a real ticket on your behalf for many of these games, or a UK-licensed operator can let you bet on the result instead.
Betting on Powerball may not stay available for long. In September 2026 the government opened a consultation on banning bets on the US Powerball draw, as it did for EuroMillions in 2018. It closes on 4 November 2026. Our lottery betting guide explains how a bet differs from holding a ticket.
Where to check the details
Prices, prize tables and draw times can change, so for anything you’re about to spend money on, check the source. The National Lottery’s Powerball page has current ticket options, rules and results for the UK game, and its Lotto page covers Lotto.
The UK launch, ticket price, draw times, payout rules and the shared jackpot are based on Powerball’s official FAQ, The UK National Lottery’s Powerball page and launch coverage from July 2026. Jackpot odds for every game are calculated from its number format. For the Australian and South African games, confirm current prices and rules with the local operator.
Frequently asked questions
What is UK Powerball?
It’s The UK National Lottery’s way into the American Powerball draw. Since 21 July 2026, UK players have been able to buy £4 tickets that go into the same draw as US tickets and compete for the same jackpot. Only the jackpot is shared: the smaller prizes on a UK ticket are set and paid separately by The National Lottery.
Which Powerball has the best jackpot odds?
South Africa’s PowerBall, at 1 in 42,375,200. Australia’s Powerball comes next at 1 in 134,490,400, and the shared US and UK draw is the longest shot at 1 in 292,201,338. For comparison, UK Lotto is 1 in 45,057,474 per round, and every £2 Lotto line now plays two rounds. Odds tell you how likely a win is, not when one is due.
Do UK and US Powerball tickets win the same prizes?
They win the same jackpot, but not the same smaller prizes. Every jackpot-winning ticket, on either side of the Atlantic, takes an equal share of one pot. Below the jackpot, UK tickets have their own prize table run by The National Lottery, and US tickets have theirs.
Can a UK Powerball jackpot winner take a lump sum?
No. A UK Powerball jackpot is paid over 30 years and there is no cash option, whereas US winners can choose between an annuity and a lump sum. The UK jackpot is also advertised in pounds after tax and the US one in dollars before tax, so the headline figures won’t match even though it’s the same prize.
How is UK Powerball different from UK Lotto?
They are completely separate games. UK Powerball is five numbers from 69 plus a Powerball from 26, costs £4, shares its jackpot with the US and has jackpot odds of 1 in 292,201,338. UK Lotto is six numbers from 59, costs £2 a line for two rounds, and has jackpot odds of 1 in 45,057,474 per round.
Want more on the American game itself? Read our Powerball Lottery guide.
