Playing Powerball in the UK comes down to choosing 5 main numbers from 1 to 69 and 1 Powerball from 1 to 26 for each line, or taking a Lucky Dip, picking your draws and buying before 11.55pm the night before. Each line costs £4. The National Lottery sells it online and in shops across the UK and the Isle of Man, and the draw takes place in the US in the early hours of Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, UK time. Here's how it works, step by step.
Step 1: choose 5 numbers and a Powerball
Every Powerball line has six numbers: five different main numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball from 1 to 26. The Powerball comes from a separate machine, so it can be the same number as one of your main numbers: a 7 among your main numbers and a 7 as your Powerball, for example.
If you'd rather not choose, ask for a Lucky Dip and the system picks your numbers at random. Every combination has exactly the same chance of coming up, so there's no right or wrong way to pick. For ideas, the number generator suggests lines for fun and our statistics show how often each number has been drawn. Neither changes your odds, and how to read Powerball statistics explains why.
There's nothing to add on top. The Power Play multiplier and the Double Play draw that American players can buy aren't available in the UK: a UK line is simply five numbers and a Powerball, and it plays for UK prizes, including a fixed £8 for matching just two main numbers.
Step 2: decide how many lines to play
Each line is a separate entry and costs £4. Online, the play slip starts with four lines and you can add more or remove the ones you don't want; in a shop, you mark each line on a Powerball play slip or ask for Lucky Dips at the counter. More lines give you more chances, but the cost rises in exactly the same proportion, so your odds per pound don't change. Every line is exactly five main numbers and one Powerball: there are no system entries covering several combinations at once.
Why £4 when Americans pay $2? The Gambling Commission describes the UK price as a commercial decision, and a UK line pays for more than the shared jackpot: it funds a separate set of UK-only prizes, including the £8 Match 2 prize, and of every £4, over 30% goes to UK good causes and 12% is paid in Lottery Duty. Where the money goes is in Powerball and good causes.
Step 3: choose your draws (and why the days look different)
Powerball is drawn in Florida on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights at 10.59pm US Eastern Time, which is 3.59am on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in the UK. That's why The National Lottery's play slip asks you to choose Monday, Wednesday or Saturday, or all three: they're the evenings you buy for, and sales close at 11.55pm on each of them.
The UK results, though, are dated with the UK day of the draw: Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday. American results, and some websites, use the US date instead, so the same draw can be called 'Monday's Powerball' in one place and 'Tuesday's' in another. It's one draw, with the same numbers for everyone.
| On the play slip | Sales close | Draw | Results from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 11.55pm Monday | 3.59am Tuesday | Around 5am Tuesday |
| Wednesday | 11.55pm Wednesday | 3.59am Thursday | Around 5am Thursday |
| Saturday | 11.55pm Saturday | 3.59am Sunday | Around 5am Sunday |
For a few draws each spring and autumn, when the UK and the US change their clocks on different dates, the draw is at 2.59am instead. The last one of autumn 2026 was on Sunday 1 November; in spring 2027 it happens on 16, 18, 21, 23 and 25 March. Everything about the timing is in Powerball draw time in the UK.
Step 4: choose how many weeks, and what it costs
You can play the same numbers for up to four weeks in advance. A week starts with the first draw your entry goes into, so four weeks of all three draws is 12 draws. In a shop, a ticket for several draws is called a Multi-Draw ticket. Online, Powerball can't be played by Direct Debit yet: The National Lottery says it will look to introduce it at a later date.
| What you play | Draws entered | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 line, one draw | 1 | £4 |
| 1 line, all three draws in a week | 3 | £12 |
| 1 line, all three draws for 4 weeks | 12 | £48 |
| 4 lines, one draw | 1 | £16 |
| 4 lines, all three draws for 4 weeks | 12 | £192 |
The sum is always the same: lines × draws × £4. Decide on your budget before you choose, and keep a ticket for several draws until the last of them has taken place.
Step 5: buy before 11.55pm the night before
Sales for each draw close at 11.55pm the evening before: on Monday for the Tuesday draw, on Wednesday for Thursday and on Saturday for Sunday. Miss the cut-off and your entry will be for the next draw. Online you can buy right up to that time; shops keep their own opening hours, and many will have closed well before 11.55pm. The options are in where to buy Powerball tickets in the UK.
Check your ticket before you leave the shop: the numbers, the draw dates and the price. Online, your entry appears in 'My games' as soon as you confirm the play slip. Powerball entries can't be cancelled once they're bought; a shop can only take a ticket back in a few cases, such as a misprint, within two hours. The details are in the Powerball ticket.
Step 6: check your numbers after the draw
The National Lottery publishes the results from around 5am and the draw video from around 6am, on its website and its YouTube channel. Our results page has the winning numbers for every draw and the UK prize breakdown once it's published.
To see whether you've won, type your lines into the ticket checker, choosing the draw date, or a date range if you played for several weeks. You can also scan a paper ticket with The National Lottery app or ask any retailer to check it, and if you play online The National Lottery lets you know when you've won. You win something with just the Powerball, or with two main numbers even without it, and each line wins only one prize: the highest tier it reaches. Every tier is in Powerball prizes in the UK.
Step 7: claim within 180 days
You have 180 days after the draw to claim a prize. Small prizes are paid in shops (National Lottery retailers pay up to £100, and some up to £500) or straight into your account if you played online; bigger ones are claimed online, by phone or in person, depending on the amount. The jackpot is different: it's paid over 30 years and claimed at meetings with Allwyn, as explained in the Powerball jackpot in the UK. Every step is in how to claim a Powerball prize.
What you need to play
- To be 18 or over. That's the minimum age for every National Lottery game, and your age is checked by an independent organisation.
- To be in the UK or the Isle of Man when you buy. Allwyn, which runs The National Lottery, won't pay a prize on an entry bought anywhere else.
- A National Lottery account to play online, which is only open to UK and Isle of Man residents.
- £4 per line, per draw. There are no add-ons.
- To buy by 11.55pm on Monday, Wednesday or Saturday.
- To keep your ticket safe if you play in a shop: it's your only proof of entry.
- A budget you're comfortable with. You can set spend limits and take time out in your National Lottery account; see playing responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to play Powerball in the UK?
£4 a line for each draw. There are no add-ons such as Power Play, so every line costs the same.
What time do Powerball ticket sales close in the UK?
At 11.55pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, for the draws in the early hours of Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
What time is the Powerball draw in the UK?
At 3.59am on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, or 2.59am for a few draws in spring and autumn when the UK and the US change their clocks on different dates. The National Lottery publishes the results from around 5am.
Why does the play slip say Monday when the draw is on Tuesday?
Because the draw takes place in the US on Monday night, which is the early hours of Tuesday in the UK. You buy by 11.55pm on Monday, and the UK result is dated Tuesday.
How many numbers do I need to win Powerball in the UK?
The Powerball on its own wins a prize, and so do two main numbers without it, which pay a fixed £8. The jackpot needs all five main numbers and the Powerball.
Can I play Powerball by Direct Debit?
Not yet. Direct Debit wasn't available for Powerball at launch, and The National Lottery says it will look to introduce it later. You can buy up to four weeks of draws in advance.
Last reviewed: . Independent information: official results are published by the lottery that runs the game.