New Games and More Million+ Prizes as National Lottery Gets an Overhaul
by Roy Brindley,
16 April 2026
The UK National Lottery’s operator has promised more millionaires will be made, and Brits will have access to the world’s biggest jackpots as the established Lotto is revamped.
Some UK lottery slips will soon feature 69 numbers for players to choose from. © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- A £2 Lotto line will now give players two chances to win.
- Chances of claiming any prize will improve from 1 in 9.3 to 1 in 4.9.
- A UK-specific version of the US smash Powerball will also be launched.
- The number of million-plus lotto winners is expected to rise to around 345 annually.
Allwyn, the company that operates the UK’s National Lottery, has announced it is about to make the biggest-ever change to the established Lotto. Furthermore, it will launch a UK-specific version of Powerball this summer. The hugely popular game has never been available outside of the US before.
Firstly, from June 7, subject to final regulatory approval, every £2 Lotto line will give players two chances – from the same number of balls to choose from – to win a prize courtesy of a new two-round format every draw.
The change improves players’ chances of winning any prize from 1 in 9.3 to 1 in 4.9. It is expected to more than double the number of million-plus lotto winners from approximately 140 to around 345 annually.
Mega Game in Time for Summer
As the nation’s ‘millionaire maker’, Allwyn says “the new Lotto format will be the perfect complement to the UK’s first £1 billion-plus mega-jackpot game,” which is coming this summer with the launch of a UK-specific version of Powerball.
The new game will see UK players playing alongside their US counterparts for a chance to win mega, shared jackpots. In a break from tradition, domestic players will receive their prize paid out in instalments over 30 years.
With over 30% of the ticket price being diverted to UK Good Causes, the game is expected to deliver an additional ballpark £1 billion to UK Good Causes over its first five years.
New Lotto Gives Players Two Chances of Winning £1m+
In a press release, Allwyn CEO, Andria Vidler, said, “We are delivering on our promise to bring more games, more entertainment and more innovation to The National Lottery. With extensive upgrades to our digital and retail channels now complete, we have a fantastic summer lined up, as we are now able to bring these exciting new games to our players.”
“Lotto has always been the best game to play if you want to become a millionaire. Our new Lotto gives players two chances of winning £1 million-plus for the same £2 they spend on each Lotto line today, creating hundreds more millionaires every year.”
“And with its transformative jackpots, which will be paid to UK winners over time, we’re certain that our UK-specific version of the iconic Powerball game will really capture the UK public’s imagination.”
“By offering a wide range of complementary games, we’re ensuring there is something for everyone – returning the magic, building our player base and making sure The National Lottery remains part of the national conversation. In turn, this will raise more money for Good Causes, helping us reach our goal of doubling weekly returns to Good Causes from £30 million to £60 million by 2034.”
What Is Changing With Lotto?
Soon, every £2 Lotto line will give players two chances to win with a new two-round format in every Wednesday and Saturday draw. Allwyn says the change will generate additional millions of pounds in game sales each week.
The new Lotto tickets will go on sale from Sunday, June 7, with the first draw taking place on Wednesday, June 10. The Lotto draws will continue to take place at around 8 pm every Saturday and Wednesday.
The new two-round structure will see two sets of six main balls plus a Bonus Ball drawn using two separate draw machines. It means a player could win in Round 1, Round 2, or both rounds, all from a single Lotto line.
What Are the New Jackpots and Prizes?
As with the current format, Lotto jackpots will begin at £2 million and can roll over up to five times before a must-be-won event on the sixth consecutive draw. Players will still win a prize when they match two or more main numbers.
And there are two ways to become a millionaire on the game – through a guaranteed £1 million-plus jackpot for matching six main numbers, and a £1 million fixed prize for anyone matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball.
The jackpot will be shared across both rounds, while all other prize tiers will continue to offer fixed cash prizes, paid per-round. Additionally, the Lotto HotPicks add-on game will move to the new two-round format and continue to be priced at £1.
What Is Powerball and How Will It Work In the UK?
Making its debut in 1992, Powerball is the world’s biggest rolling jackpot game, with an uncapped jackpot starting at £12 million. In addition to making its biggest-ever winner over $2.04 billion richer, Powerball has generated an estimated $38 billion for good causes over the past 34 years.
Powerball is launching in the UK in partnership with the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which is owned and operated by its member lotteries. With 48 US-based lotteries already participating in Powerball, Allwyn will be launching a tailored version of the game for UK players.
Priced at £4 per line, players will compete for a chance to win the shared jackpot, which, for UK winners, will be paid out over 30 years. The UK game features an extra ‘Match 2 main numbers’ prize tier, offering a fixed prize of £8.
The ‘Match 5 main numbers’ tier also offers a fixed prize of £1 million, while all other UK prize tiers offer generous estimated prizes, which vary depending on the balls drawn and the number of winners in each tier.
When Will Powerball Tickets Go On Sale?
Powerball tickets will go on sale to UK players later this summer, with the exact date to be confirmed nearer the time. UK Powerball players will pick five main numbers ranging from 1 to 69, and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Alternatively, they can choose a Lucky Dip.
Tickets will be available to buy online or in store by 11.55 pm the night before the draws (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays). Draws then happen around 4 am the following morning – on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday – from the Powerball studio in Florida.
About Allwyn and The National Lottery
The licence to run The National Lottery, which has awarded players over £103 billion in prize money and created more than 8,000 millionaires, is reviewed and renewed every 10 years. Allwyn UK took over as the operator of The National Lottery on February 1, 2024. Since its 1994 inception, it had been run by Camelot Group.
Raising vital funds that help communities thrive across the UK, Allwyn says every ticket makes a difference, “from grassroots sport and local arts to heritage and community initiatives.” Independent bodies manage the distribution of lottery funds.
Allwyn UK’s parent company, Allwyn International AG – which recently listed on the Athens Stock Exchange and last year launched high-profile partnerships with Formula 1 and the McLaren Formula 1 Team – reported an operating profit of €1.58 billion for 2025.
Pragmatic Play's games have proven a huge hit with both our readers and the review team! Thanks to a direct line to their workshop, we can now share the hottest new releases launching this April:
Gates of Olympus combines real dealer play with exciting bonus round graphics.
AI Models Struggle to Beat Bookies Over a Premier League Season
Big Bass Trophy Catch Coming from Pragmatic Play
Play the New Playtech Slot King Richwin on 15 April
Try the New AvatarUX Slot Prince of Purrwood on 16 April