La vente des billets de Powerball commence mardi au Royaume-Uni

Powerball tickets are now available in the United Kingdom, marking the first time the lottery has expanded beyond U.S. borders. Sales began on Wednesday, with the first drawing scheduled for early Thursday morning in the U.K. This allows British players to compete for the same massive jackpot as their counterparts in the United States, currently valued at approximately $567 million in the U.S. and 300 million pounds in the U.K. The expansion was facilitated by an agreement between the Multi-State Lottery Association in the U.S. and Allwyn UK, which operates the National Lottery in the U.K. The first Powerball ticket in the U.K. was sold at around 5 a.m. local time in York, located approximately 174 miles northwest of London. Tickets are being sold through authorized retailers, with prices set at 4 pounds, equivalent to roughly $5.35, compared to the standard $2 price for U.S. tickets. While the core mechanics of the game remain consistent, players select five white-ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26—the structure of lower-tier prizes differs. In the U.K., these smaller prizes are drawn from a separate pool and managed independently by the National Lottery. One key distinction lies in how winners receive their prizes. U.S. participants have the option to take their winnings either as a lump sum or as an annuity, with the latter offering annual payments that increase by 5% each year. In contrast, British winners will automatically receive their prize over a period of 30 years. Additionally, U.S. winners can choose between the cash option, currently worth around $251.8 million, and the annuitized payment plan. For U.K. players, the entire jackpot will be distributed gradually, reflecting the country's tax system and financial regulations. The introduction of Powerball to the U.K. also represents a shift in the landscape of high-stakes lotteries. It is the first uncapped lottery available to British players, meaning there is no upper limit on the potential size of the jackpot. This change is expected to attract greater interest among U.K. gamblers, particularly given the current record jackpot of around $2 billion, achieved in 2022 in California. The U.K. version of the game will see its first drawing on Wednesday night, making it the first Powerball draw accessible to players in the United Kingdom. The move comes after a long hiatus for Powerball’s international expansion. Since 2020, when Mississippi became the latest U.S. state to offer the game, no new markets were added. Powerball is now available in 45 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.K. joins this list, expanding the global reach of the lottery. The U.S. lottery officials anticipate that the increased player base will lead to faster-growing jackpots, potentially boosting sales and further enthralling participants. The U.K. Powerball jackpot will be calculated based on currency exchange rates, resulting in slightly different advertised values compared to the U.S. Furthermore, while U.S. jackpots are presented as pre-tax figures, the U.K. will reflect post-tax amounts. Despite these variations, the odds of winning the top prize remain unchanged at 1 in 292.2 million for both U.S. and U.K. players. Drawings will continue to occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, maintaining the familiar schedule for regular players.