Powerball ticket sold in Arkansas wins $1.8 billion Christmas Eve jackpot

A Powerball ticket sold in Arkansas won a historic $1.817 billion jackpot in the Christmas Eve drawing, marking the second-largest lottery prize ever awarded in the United States. The winning numbers for the December 24 draw were 4, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with odds of hitting the jackpot estimated at more than 1 in 292 million.

Prize Options and Taxes

The winner has the choice between a lump‑sum payment of $834.9 million or receiving the full prize in annual installments over 30 years. Both options are subject to federal and state taxes. This is the second time in 2025 that the Powerball jackpot has exceeded $1 billion, following 46 consecutive drawings without a top‑prize winner.

Context of Record Prizes

The $1.817 billion prize ranks only behind the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California in November 2022. The third‑largest US lottery prize—$1.787 billion—was split by winners in Missouri and Texas in September 2025. Mathematicians often illustrate the near‑impossible odds by comparing them to guessing a single second within a nine‑year span.

Powerball’s National Reach

Powerball is played across 45 US states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Drawings are held three times a week, and jackpots roll over when no ticket matches all six numbers, allowing prizes to grow rapidly over successive draws.