An Arkansas resident has hit the jackpot in the Powerball lottery, winning an astonishing $1.817 billion during Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing. This monumental win breaks a three-month dry spell without a top prize winner, highlighting the game’s propensity for life-altering rewards.
This massive prize is now the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history and the largest Powerball payout of 2025, elevating interest in the lottery and enhancing public engagement with the game.
Key Developments
- The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52, 59, with the Powerball number being 19.
- The cash option for the jackpot is $834.9 million.
- This win ends a streak of 46 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner.
- The last jackpot was won on September 6, 2023, by players in Missouri and Texas, who claimed a prize of $1.787 billion.
- This marks the second Powerball jackpot won in Arkansas, the first being in 2010.
- Historically, this is the first Powerball jackpot won on Christmas Eve since 2011.
Full Report
Matt Strawn, Chair of the Powerball Product Group and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, expressed his excitement for the lucky winner, stating, “Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize.” He also acknowledged the role of players in contributing to public programs through their ticket purchases.
Tickets for the Powerball cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Despite the daunting odds of 1 in 292.2 million for winning the jackpot, players continue to be drawn in by the potential for significant rewards from smaller prizes.
Chris Winters, a glass artist from Indianapolis, shared his impulsive decision to buy a ticket: “With the prize so high, I just bought one kind of impulsively. Why not?”
Context & Previous Events
The last time a Powerball jackpot was won on Christmas Day was in 2013, with a total of four winners since then. The streak of 46 drawings without a winner had maintained heightened anticipation among players. The previous winning ticket was sold on September 6, 2023, marking a notable gap that has now been broken.
