Responsible gambling: playing Powerball safely

A game of chance, for over-18s only

Since 2021 you must be 18 or over to buy, receive or play any National Lottery game, Powerball included, and to claim a prize. The National Lottery uses an independent organisation to check players' ages online, and retailers check the ID of anyone who looks younger. Powerball tickets aren't a gift for children.

Every draw is random and every line has the same chance, whatever numbers you pick. No system can change that, and no tool on this website, including our statistics and number generator, can predict a draw. Play for fun, never as a way to make money or solve money problems.

Decide your budget and your time first

• Set a weekly or monthly amount you can afford to lose, and don't go over it, whatever the jackpot.
• Remember how quickly £4 lines add up: one line in every draw is £12 a week, and four lines in every draw £48.
• Think of what you spend as the price of entertainment, and of any win as a bonus.
• Never borrow, use credit or dip into money meant for bills to play.
• Don't play to cheer yourself up, to escape a problem or to win back what you've lost.
• You don't need to stay up for a 3.59am draw: the results are published from around 5am, and our results page has them too.

Dream Big Play Small: tools in your National Lottery account

If you play online, the spend and play settings in your National Lottery account let you:

• Set a spend limit, which covers both what you deposit and any winnings you spend, and a deposit limit, both over a rolling seven days. Lowering a limit takes effect straight away; raising one takes 24 hours.
• Get reminders about your play.
• Take time out, for anything from one day to a permanent exclusion from The National Lottery's games.

If you're not sure how to do it, The National Lottery can set it up for you over the phone. It also offers an online test to help you think about how you play, and a budget calculator. In a shop there are no account tools, so decide how much you'll spend before you go in.

GAMSTOP doesn't cover Powerball

GAMSTOP is a free service that blocks you from gambling websites and apps licensed in Great Britain for six months, one year or five years. For The National Lottery, though, it only covers online Instant Win Games, not draw games such as Powerball, Lotto or EuroMillions. To stop playing Powerball online, take a break or exclude yourself in your National Lottery account as well.

In October 2026 a coroner called for National Lottery draw games to be brought into GAMSTOP, and Allwyn says it's working with the Gambling Commission as it considers any changes. Until something changes, self-exclusion from Powerball happens in your National Lottery account. Other tools can help too:

• Blocking software such as Gamban stops gambling websites and apps working on your devices.
• Your bank can usually block payments to gambling companies; many banking apps let you switch this on yourself.
• National Debtline and Citizens Advice offer free help if gambling has left you with debts.

Signs that gambling is becoming a problem

The NHS suggests nine questions. For each, score 0 for “never”, 1 for “sometimes”, 2 for “most of the time” and 3 for “almost always”:

1. Do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
2. Do you need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling?
3. Have you tried to win back money you've lost?
4. Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
5. Have you wondered whether you have a problem with gambling?
6. Has gambling caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
7. Have other people criticised your betting or told you that you have a problem?
8. Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
9. Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?

A total of 8 or more means you, or the people closest to you, are likely to be experiencing harm from gambling. A score between 1 and 7 means it may still be having a negative effect. Either way, help is available.

Where to get help

• National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare: 0808 8020 133, free and confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone, live chat or WhatsApp. More at gamcare.org.uk.
• Find local support: a postcode search for free, confidential gambling support near you, at gambleaware.org.
• NHS gambling clinics: specialist treatment in England, which you can contact yourself or through your GP. Details at nhs.uk.
• Gordon Moody: residential and online treatment for people affected by gambling, at gordonmoody.org.uk.
• Gamblers Anonymous: meetings across the UK where people help each other stop gambling, at gamblersanonymous.org.uk.
• GAMSTOP: free self-exclusion from gambling websites and apps, at gamstop.co.uk.

If you're worried about someone else

Gambling harm affects families and friends too. The National Gambling Helpline and GamCare also support people affected by someone else's gambling, and GamAnon runs support groups for relatives and friends. Talk to the person calmly, at a good moment, about what you've noticed rather than about how much they play; avoid lending them money to gamble or pay debts, and look after your own wellbeing as well.

Playing safely

Responsible play and safe play go together. Play with The National Lottery or with a company licensed by the Gambling Commission, protect your account with a strong password and be wary of anyone promising sure-fire wins. The limits and exclusions you set with The National Lottery only cover its games: if you also bet with another company, such as Lottofy, set your limits there too. GAMSTOP doesn't cover National Lottery draw games such as Powerball, but it does cover online betting companies licensed in Great Britain. Our guide to avoiding Powerball scams covers the warning signs.

Frequently asked questions