Players of the National Lottery have the chance to win a record-breaking £377 million this weekend, marking the largest jackpot ever offered in a UK draw. The prize will be available for the Powerball game, but winners will receive the money over a span of 30 years instead of as a lump sum. The UK recently joined the Powerball, becoming the first country outside the US and its territories to participate.
The £377 million draw is scheduled to take place in Miami, Florida, at 11 pm local time on Saturday (4 am Sunday BST). To win, players need to select five numbers from 1 to 69 and a Powerball number from 1 to 26, with tickets priced at £4 each. Matching all the numbers correctly is required to claim the top prize.
Tickets for the draw can be purchased either in stores or online, following the same process as other National Lottery games such as EuroMillions and Lotto. Additionally, players have the option of a lucky dip if they prefer not to choose numbers themselves.
UK participants must buy their tickets before 11.55 pm on Saturday to be eligible for this weekend’s draw. Unlike in the US where winners can choose to receive the money immediately with a 50% deduction, in the UK, the prize is only available as an annuity payment.
Allwyn, the National Lottery operator, stated that the annuity payment method ensures that winners receive the maximum jackpot possible. In cases where multiple winners share the same winning numbers, the jackpot is split equally, potentially leading to the prize being shared among winners internationally.
Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at Allwyn, remarked on the staggering £377M jackpot, highlighting the life-changing impact such a prize could have on individuals. Players have until 11.55 pm on Saturday to purchase their tickets and be part of the draw.
The largest lottery win in the UK to date was in July 2022, when an anonymous ticket holder won £195 million in the EuroMillions. The second-highest prize went to Joe and Jess Thwaite, a couple from Gloucester, who won £184.3 million in May of the same year with a Lucky Dip ticket.
While EuroMillions jackpots are capped, Powerball prizes have no upper limit. The largest Powerball win in the US was a $2.04 billion jackpot won by Edwin Castro in California in November 2022.
Following his win, Castro faced a legal challenge alleging ticket theft, which was dismissed by a Los Angeles judge. Despite losing his home in California wildfires, Castro has invested in rebuilding efforts to create family homes on the affected land.