Powerball set for UK debut as Allwyn equips retailers nationwide
Ahead of Powerball tickets going on sale from 5am on Tuesday 21st July, National Lottery operator Allwyn has sent its 43,500 retail partners a Launch Box containing all the materials needed to help both players and retailers get ready for the new game.
This is complemented by dedicated store visits already taking place to make Playstation upgrades and guide retailers through the upcoming changes.
Each box includes the brand-new play slips for Powerball, refreshed guidance materials and in-store point-of-sale (POS) assets. Player-facing ‘How To Play’ leaflets are also included, ensuring players have clear, accessible information when buying tickets and claiming prizes.
UK Powerball players will pick five main 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 until 11:55pm the night before the draws (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays), with draws then taking place at around 4am the following morning – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays – at the Powerball studio in Florida.
If the Powerball jackpot – which is currently estimated at $526m* – continues to roll until the UK launch, UK players will be in with a chance to scoop serious ‘Powerball Money’ in the opening draw on 23 July.
Closer to home, the game is expected to raise around £1bn for UK Good Causes over its first five years, with all Good Causes funding generated from UK ticket sales going directly to UK beneficiaries and projects.
Retailers can expect increased engagement and sales driven by Powerball’s fast-growing jackpots, supported by the multimillion-pound advertising campaign to boost footfall and attract new players. With 20p commission per £4 line sold, alongside additional earning and footfall opportunities from in-store prize payouts, the game offers clear commercial benefits. 
To maximise the opportunity, retailers should:
- Keep the Powerball jackpot visible and play slips readily available;
- Offer National Lottery Fast Pay cards to encourage repeat play; and
- Generate in-store excitement by recommending the brand-new Powerball game to existing customers – perhaps asking them what they would do with the ‘Powerball Money’ on offer.
Retailers should also be aware of the key differences in terminal operations compared with other National Lottery draw-based games. Because draws take place in the US at around 4am UK time, tickets cannot be purchased on the same day as the draw. Instead, terminals will display selectable ‘Week Days’ of Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, which correspond to draws taking place in the early hours of Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday respectively.
Powerball tickets will feature several new elements, giving them a slightly different appearance to other draw-based game tickets. These include:
- A new ‘Retailer Key’ (RK) number displayed alongside the existing 28-digit number;
- An additional date and time stamp; and
- New 2D barcodes that can be scanned via the terminal as usual.
Additionally, unlike other draw-based games, Powerball tickets cannot be cancelled from a draw once issued. However, players can only request a refund under the same limited circumstances that apply for all ticket cancellations today – such as when tickets issued in error, are illegible or incomplete, or where duplicate Lucky Dip lines have been printed. Refunds must be processed within two hours of purchase and before draw sales close or the store closes, using the standard cancellation process. Refunded tickets cannot be validated for prizes, and all returned tickets and slips must be retained for 30 days for reconciliation and security purposes.
* The estimated US Powerball jackpot and the UK jackpot are not directly comparable. The US jackpot is advertised in US dollars and before taxes, while the UK jackpot is advertised as a post-tax value. The UK jackpot is paid as an annuity over 30 years, with the advertised amount calculated using the highest applicable UK tax rate.
