The National Lottery, operated by Allwyn, will launch a new draw which will link with the famous Powerball game, iconic in the US, in which the jackpot can rocket
Brits could be in with a chance of scooping a mind-boggling £1billion lottery bonanza under plans announced today.
New National Lottery operator Allwyn confirmed it will launch a new draw later this year that links up with America’s famous Powerball game.
The draw – which takes places three times a week – will offer the chance to win a truly life-changing amount, from at least £12million. Unlike other draws, there is no limit to the number of roll-overs that can take place if no-one wins, meaning the jackpot can soar. Allwyn says it paves the way for one lucky person in the UK to win a colossal £1billion, or more – the biggest such prize every offered.
But unlike most other National Lottery winners who get their hands on the tax-free cash at once, those who scoop the top Powerball prize have to receive it over a 30-year period. For those who net the potential £1billion, it would work out at more than £30million every year for three decades. Should the lucky winner sadly not live that long, the remainder will be paid to their estate, an Allwyn spokeswoman said.
READ MORE: Search for mystery £1 million Lotto jackpot winner — check your ticket nowREAD MORE: Woman told to return £33k jackpot after William Hill claims technical glitch
But before players get too carried away, the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are a distinctly distance 292 million to one, given the fact there will be up against others in 48 US state lotteries. And it is not cheap, at £4 per Powerball line – the most expensive National Lottery draw in the game’s history.
That is much more than the $2 in the States – something Allwyn says it due to there being more lower tier prizes in the UK. For instance, matching two main numbers wins a fixed prize of £8, rising to £1million for having five main numbers.
The exact date of the launch has yet to be confirmed but UK Powerball players will pick five main numbers ranging from numbers from 1 to 69, and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Or they can choose a Lucky Dip.
Tickets will be available to buy online or in store by 11.55pm the night before the draws (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays), with the draws then happening around 4am the next morning – on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday – from the Powerball studio in Florida.
The biggest ever Powerball winner was Edwin Castro, who netted just over $2billion on the California state lottery in November 2022. However, the 31-year-old opted to take it in one go – rather over several decades – which brought the cash prize down to just under $1billion, after tax, still an astonishing amount.
Castro – who bought his lucky ticket at a fuel station – reportedly used his record-breaking winnings to buy himself a luxury £18million home for himself in the Hollywood Hills, another £3million Japanese-inspired pad for his parents, along with various sports cars and exotic trips.
His hometown of Altadena, which is a 20-minute drive from Los Angeles, was severely impacted by wildfires last year, which killed at least 31 people and laid waste to a staggering 57,000 acres as fires ripped their way through local neighbourhoods. He reportedly bought up 15 lots plots of land in Altadenato the tune of $10m about £7,500,000. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, he said: “I want it to feel like the old neighbourhood. Like if you put all those houses pre-fire in a time bubble.”
The UK’s inclusion is first time the Powerball game has taken place outside the US, and builds on the launch of the pan-European Euromillions draw in 2004.
The move comes as Allwyn also announced a big change to the main Lotto draw, in the biggest chance since its launch in 1994.
From June 7, every £2 Lotto line will give players two chances to win – with the same number of balls to choose from and a new two-round format every draw.
The change improves players’ chances of winning any prize from 1-in-9.3 to 1-in-4.9 and is expected to more than double the number of Lotto millionaires from around 140 a year to around 345.
Allwyn chief executive Andria Vidler said: “We are delivering on our promise to bring more games, more entertainment and more innovation to The National Lottery.
“Lotto has always been the best game to play if you want to become a millionaire. Our new Lotto gives players two chances of winning £1 million-plus for the same £2 they spend on each Lotto line today, creating hundreds more millionaires every year.
“And with its transformative jackpots, which will be paid to UK winners over time, we’re certain that our UK-specific version of the iconic Powerball game will really capture the UK public’s imagination.”
