The UK version of the world's biggest jackpot game Powerball launched this week – with Brits getting the chance to win more than £300million over the coming days.The National Lottery's Powerball will see UK players pay £4 per line to compete with their US counterparts to win shared jackpots that can balloon into the billions.Operator Allwyn has confirmed players are now able to buy into the game from today ahead of the opening draw on Thursday. Here is how it will work: The UK version of the world’s biggest jackpot game Powerball is set to launch this weekWhat is Powerball?Founded in the US in 1992, Powerball is the world's biggest rolling jackpot game.Players select five white numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. To win the jackpot, players must match all six drawn numbers.The jackpot grows until it is won. Winners can receive their prize as an annuity paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or as a lump-sum payment.How will the UK version work?This is the first time the game has operated outside the US – and will see UK players pay £4 per line to compete with their American counterparts.If the Powerball jackpot continues to roll until the British launch tomorrow, UK players will be in with a chance to win it in the opening draw.The game will offer UK players uncapped jackpots starting at £12million, which can grow into the hundreds of millions and even billions.The UK game features an extra 'match two main numbers' prize tier, which is only available to UK players and offers a fixed prize of £8.The 'match five main numbers' tier also offers a fixed prize of £1million, while all other UK prize tiers will vary depending on the balls drawn and the number of winners.What is the current Powerball jackpot?The Powerball jackpot is currently estimated at £300million. People wait to buy lottery tickets in California last September when the jackpot hit $1.4billionWhen does Powerball launch?Operator Allwyn said UK players have been able to buy into the game from 5am today. The first draw for Brits will take place this Thursday.What are the odds of winning?The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292million, according to the operator. There are also a series of other prize tiers, for which the odds vary.What will be the weekly timings?Tickets will be available to buy online or in UK stores until 11.55pm the night before the draws (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays).Draws then take place at around 4am the following morning – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays – at the Powerball studio in Florida.Are British retailers ready for the new game?Operator Allwyn said it had sent 43,500 retailers a 'Launch Box' containing all the materials needed to help players and stores prepare for the game.Each box includes new play slips for Powerball, refreshed guidance materials and in-store point-of-sale assets. Player-facing 'How To Play' leaflets are also included.Allwyn teams are also making visits to shops to ensure systems are ready and to guide them through the changes. Retailers earn 20p commission per £4 line sold. Joe Chahayed, owner of Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California, received a $1million bonus after his store sold the Powerball ticket that created the world's biggest-ever lottery winner of $2.04billion, in 2022What is the biggest ever Powerball prize?Powerball created the world's biggest-ever lottery winner of $2.04billion (£1.5bn) in 2022. Edwin Castro bought his ticket at Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California.Winners can choose to receive their winnings over 30 annual payments, but Castro chose the lump sum, receiving $997.6million (£740m) – or $628.5million (£467m) after taxes.How much do people spend on the lottery?Latest figures from Allwyn show total National Lottery sales, including lottery tickets bought in shops, came in at £8.1billion in 2025, up 3.5 per cent on the previous year.More than £1.7billion was generated for good causes, which incorporates funding for health, education, arts, sports heritage and charitable causes, and £967million was raised in taxes.Are any other lottery changes being made?Powerball follows the National Lottery, making the biggest overhaul to its draw-based Lotto game since its launch in 1994, with players being given two chances to win for every £2 ticket.The change, which was rolled out from June 7, is expected to more than double the number of Lotto millionaires – from around 140 a year to about 345.It also follows the recent completion of a £450million major tech upgrade to the lottery, which involved moving 18million player records and more than three billion historical transactions from old platforms to new ones, and transforming the technology used by retail partners.