A player in Arkansas won the $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot in the Christmas Eve drawing.
The Powerball jackpot drawn on the night of December 24th had winning numbers of 04, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with the Powerball number being 19. This is the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas; the first time was in 2010.
“Congratulations to the Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize. We also want to thank all the players who participated in this series of draws. Every ticket sold contributes to supporting public programs and services across the country,” Matt Strawn, President of Powerball Products Group and Director of the Iowa State Lottery, stated on December 25th.
The Powerball draw on the night of December 24th. Photo: AP
This jackpot was won after 46 consecutive draws without a player matching all six numbers. The last time someone won the jackpot was on September 6th, when players in Missouri and Texas shared a $1.787 billion prize.
The last time someone won the Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011. According to the organizers, the Powerball draw on Christmas Day, December 25th, has had four winners, the most recent being in 2013.
Last-minute ticket sales have pushed the jackpot value higher than expected. This is the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history and the largest Powerball jackpot of 2025. The winner can choose to receive a lump sum cash payment of $834.9 million.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, designed to create huge prizes thanks to a cumulative mechanism when there is no winner.
Each ticket costs $2 and is sold in 45 states, along with Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
