UK government moves to ban third-party betting on Powerball UK

The UK government has opened a consultation on closing a legislative gap that currently lets betting operators accept wagers on Powerball UK, the National Lottery game launched by Allwyn UK in June. For PSPs and betting operators, the point is simple: once the wording is updated, this route is set to disappear while betting on overseas lotteries such as US Powerball remains allowed.

1. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is consulting on an amendment to Section 95 of the Gambling Act 2005. The goal is to stop British betting operators from offering third-party wagers on Powerball UK, which was introduced into the National Lottery portfolio only in June.
2. On paper, Section 95 already blocks betting on National Lottery products. In practice, the current wording refers to the original range of lottery games, so Powerball UK does not yet sit cleanly inside the prohibition. That gap is what DCMS wants to close.
3. Vicky Foxcroft, Under-Secretary of State at DCMS, said the change “seeks to preserve the distinction between betting and the National Lottery” and prevent “customer confusion and threats to the additional good causes expected to be raised from Powerball”. The department says the update would also help maximise funding for National Lottery good causes.
4. The consultation remains open until midnight on November 4, 2026. DCMS has also made clear that the proposed change would not affect betting on US Powerball, which is still treated as an overseas lottery draw rather than a National Lottery product.
5. Powerball itself is a familiar high-jackpot format: in the US, prizes have reached into the billions, with the largest jackpot on record standing at $2bn, won in November 2022. That matters because the UK version is being handled as a National Lottery product, not just another sportsbook market.

For high-risk operators, the practical takeaway is to separate “lottery betting” by jurisdiction and product status. A draw that is still legally framed as an overseas lottery can sit in one compliance bucket; a National Lottery-branded version can be pulled into another very quickly once the statute is rewritten.