Powerball ticket sold in Arkansas wins $1.817 billion jackpot

PHOENIX – Someone who bought a lottery ticket in Arkansas will most likely have a very memorable Christmas, as that ticket won the $1.817 billion Christmas Eve drawing for the Powerball.

According to Powerball officials, this is the second time the lottery’s jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas. The first time was in 2010.

What we know:

Per Powerball officials, a single ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Dec. 24.

Besides the top prize, officials with the lottery said 114 tickets won $50,000 prizes, while 31 tickets won $100,000 prizes. Eight tickets also matched all five white balls, and they were sold in California, Indiana, Michigan, New York (two tickets), Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania.

Per Powerball’s statement, the prize for matching all five white balls is $1 million in all places except California, where the prize payout is determined by sales and the number of winners.

By the numbers:

The numbers drawn on Christmas Eve are 4, 25, 31, 52, and 59. The Powerball is 19, and the Power Play multiplier was 2.

What we don’t know:

 It is not known at this time whether the ticket was purchased as part of a pool involving multiple people, or by a single person.

The backstory:

According to the Associated Press, the big Powerball jackpot is the result of a three-month stretch where no ticket won the top prize. Prior to this, the last drawing with a jackpot winner was Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion.

The AP article states that the top prize for the Dec. 24 Powerball drawing is the second-largest in U.S. history, as well as the largest Powerball prize of 2025.

Dig deeper:

Per Powerball’s statement, the winner can opt for a lump sum payment of $834.9 million pre-tax, or have the prize split between one immediate payment and 29 annual payments that increases by 5% each year.

What’s next:

Per Powerball officials, the next drawing is on Saturday, Dec. 27, with an estimated jackpot of $20 million. Tickets cost $2 per play, and they are sold in 45 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.