The Powerball has made someone's holiday season unforgettable this year. A single ticket sold in Arkansas matched all the numbers in the Christmas Eve drawing, hitting an enormous jackpot of $1.817 billion, making it the second-largest U.S. lottery prize ever claimed and the biggest Powerball win of the year. The Powerball winning numbers were 4, 25, 31, 52, 59, with the Powerball number being 19 and a 2X Power Play, FOX8 reported.
While the odds were absolutely astronomical, the Arkansas winner now has the option quickly to decide whether they want the $1.817 billion prize paid out as an annuity or to take a lump sum of $834.9 million, before taxes are applied. This payday comes after a record 47 draws without a winner, establishing a new Powerball milestone for the most drawings in a single jackpot run. This info comes via the details provided by NBC Miami, alongside a hearty "Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize," from Iowa Lottery CEO and Powerball Product Group Chair Matt Strawn, which was included in an interview.
Nationwide, eight additional tickets are also winners, matching all five white balls but missing out on the red Powerball. One of those million-dollar tickets was bought at a Kroger in Cincinnati. Each of these tickets managed to snag a $1 million prize, with taxes still to come off the top. Despite the huge prize going to Arkansas, lotto sales contribute to public programs across the States, something that Strawn emphasized when saying, "We also want to thank all the players who joined in this jackpot streak – every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country," in a media release picked up by FOX8.
For those who missed the big win, the Powerball jackpot is expected to reset to $20 million for the next drawing, which should put proceeds back to play. The lucky winner from Arkansas makes it the second time a jackpot ticket has been sold there, with the first occurring back in 2010, as mentioned by Fox Business. The overall largest lottery jackpot to still hold the record was claimed by a California ticket on November 7, 2022, for a staggering $2.04 billion.
