Single Ticket in Arkansas Wins $1.817 Billion Powerball Jackpot

A single ticket sold in Arkansas has won the $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot, making it the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The winning numbers drawn on December 24 were 4, 25, 31, 52, 59, with a Powerball of 19. The jackpot had an estimated lump sum cash value of $834.9 million.

This drawing marked the 47th in the current jackpot run, setting a record for the most consecutive drawings in a Powerball jackpot cycle. The previous jackpot was won on September 6, when two tickets in Missouri and Texas split a $1.787 billion prize.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with drawings held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.

Winners have the option to receive their prize as an annuity, consisting of one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year, or as a lump sum payment. Both options are before taxes.

This is only the second time in Powerball history that back-to-back jackpots have exceeded $1 billion. The largest U.S. lottery jackpot remains a $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in California in 2022.