Betting ban proposed to close legal loophole in UK law

By Kate Northrop

The British government is weighing a proposal to ban licensed betting operators from taking wagers on the outcome of the newly launched Powerball draw game in the United Kingdom.

While bookmakers have traditionally been allowed to take bets on the outcome of international lottery games, it's increasingly looking like taking wagers on Powerball may be off the table since it officially made its debut in the UK a few months ago.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has opened a formal consultation on whether to prohibit third-party bets on the game, which Allwyn UK, the operator of the National Lottery, launched on June 21.

It marked the first time the Powerball multi-state game has appeared anywhere outside the United States, with Allwyn promoting the expansion as a milestone moment since it offers the possibility that a UK citizen can now win prizes as large a billion pounds.

The question of whether British bookmakers can offer wagers on those jackpots comes down to a matter of wording in existing law. UK betting firms are permitted to offer bets on the outcomes of several international lotteries, including Irish and Spanish national lotteries, as well as US Powerball. However, the law forbids bets on the UK National Lottery itself.

The catch is that the law only refers to the original offering of UK National Lottery products before the US-based Powerball game was just introduced this summer, so technically, wagers on the outcomes of Powerball are entirely legal despite its status as a UK National Lottery game.

The government is evaluating whether extending the restriction to Powerball would be consistent with the law's intent, which "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," DCMS Undersecretary of State Vicky Foxcroft said.

"The government therefore proposes to prohibit licensed operators in Great Britain from offering third party bets on the National Lottery's Powerball game draws," she continued. "This will aim to remove risks of customer confusion for players and ensure National Lottery good causes are maximized."

The consultation invites input from anyone that the change might affect. The deadline for submissions from interested parties is Nov. 4. From there, DCMS will weigh the feedback before deciding whether to formally extend the legal restrictions to cover the newly launched Powerball draw game.