Powerball Jackpot Surges to $1.817 Billion with Christmas Winner

A Powerball ticket purchased at a gas station near Little Rock, Arkansas, has won a staggering $1.817 billion jackpot in the Christmas Eve drawing. This victory ended a three-month dry spell without a top-prize winner. The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with the Powerball number being 19. According to Arkansas lottery officials, the ticket was sold at a Murphy USA location in Cabot, approximately 26 miles northeast of Little Rock.

The surge in ticket sales led to the jackpot exceeding previous estimates, marking it as the second-largest in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize awarded in 2025. The lump sum cash payment option for this jackpot stands at $834.9 million.

Matt Strawn, Chair of the Powerball Product Group and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, expressed excitement about the win, stating, “Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize.” He also emphasized the importance of all players who contributed to the jackpot streak, noting that their ticket purchases support public programs and services nationwide.

Lottery officials reported that they would not know the identity of the winner until at least Monday, December 25, as winners must contact a claims center, which is closed for the holidays. Karen Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Lottery, confirmed this timeline.

This monumental win follows a series of 46 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. The last winning ticket was sold on September 6, 2023, when players in Missouri and Texas shared a jackpot of $1.787 billion. Notably, this is only the second time a Powerball jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas, the first occurrence being in 2010.

The last Christmas Eve Powerball jackpot win occurred in 2011, although the sweepstakes has been won on Christmas Day four times, most recently in 2013. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292.2 million, a statistic designed to create significant jackpots that grow as they roll over without a winner. However, lottery officials highlight that the odds are much better for winning smaller prizes.

With the jackpot reaching such extraordinary heights, many players felt inclined to participate, including Chris Winters, a glass artist from Indianapolis, who stated, “With the prize so high, I just bought one kind of impulsively. Why not?” Tickets for the game cost $2 and are available in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The news of this jackpot win has generated excitement and interest across the nation, as communities eagerly await the announcement of the winner and the life-changing impact this prize will have.