What Powerball expansion to U.K. means for players

In its first major expansion since 2020 — and, its first expansion beyond the continental United States in more than a decade — the Powerball lottery held its first international draw Wednesday, including players in the United Kingdom.

The game had no top-tier winners either home or abroad: Not a jackpot winner, Match 5+ Power Play $2-million or Match 5 $1-million winners — from the 4, 5, 22, 50, 58 and 1 winning numbers drawn against the estimated $570-million jackpot prize pool.

While Powerball said the expanded ticket-sales base will lead to bigger jackpot pools, there's been a lot of negative feedback in the U.S., where social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and other sites have seen players bemoaning the expansion.

So, what does international expansion really mean for players? Here are some answers, according to the Powerball website:

Will the odds of winning change?

Powerball answered with an emphatic no. "The odds of winning are unchanged," it said, "because the two fields of numbers from which the winning numbers are drawn are not changing." That is, the five field numbers will still be drawn from a pool of numbers from 1-69. The winning red Powerball number, still drawn from a pool from 1-26. "The addition of U.K. players increases the jackpot size, not the odds or drawing mechanics."

What are the odds of winning?

Although the expansion will increase jackpots, odds are greater you'll get struck by lightning than score the top jackpot prize playing Powerball. Seriously. scientists claim chances are 1 in 1,222,000 you'll get struck by lightning in any given year. Odds of matching all 5 field numbers and the red ball to win Powerball? That'd be 1 in 292,201,338.

What if a Jackpot is won by players both in the U.S. and U. K.?

Powerball said that, as always, multiple winners in a single drawing will split the jackpot prizes equally on a parimutuel basis. One winner in the U.S. and one in the U.K.? Split the jackpot prize in two. Two winners in the U.S., one in the U. K.? Each gets a third. 

Will ticket prices change?

No: Tickets sold in the U.S. remain $2 per line, $3 per line if you purchase the Power Play multiplier option — an option that increases payouts on all non-jackpot prize winners. For U.K. players, the cost is 4 pounds per line or play. That's about 4.69 euros per line — or about $5.34 per line per draw.

Where are Powerball Tickets sold?

Powerball began with drawings in 1992 and had expanded from 15 states to locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories before this week's expansion to the U.K. The last prior expansion was to Mississippi in 2020. Before that, Powerball expanded beyond the continental U.S. with expansion to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2002 and Puerto Rico in 2014.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.