Arkansas Powerball lottery player wins $1.817bn jackpot on Christmas Eve | Arkansas

A Powerball player in Arkansas won the $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month run without a grand prize winner.

Recent ticket sales have pushed the jackpot higher than previously expected, making it the second-largest Powerball prize in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according to www.powerball.com. The jackpot had an option for a lump sum cash payout of $834.9 million.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly a remarkable, life-changing prize,” Matt Strawn, president of the Powerball Product Group and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, was quoted as saying by the website. “We also want to thank all the players who participated in this jackpot series; every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”

The award came after 46 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers.

The last drawing to win the jackpot took place on September 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion.

The last time someone won the Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was 2011, Powerball said. The draws have been won four times on Christmas Day, most recently in 2013, the company added.

Powerball’s 1 in 292.2 million odds are designed to win huge jackpots; The prizes keep getting bigger and bigger when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are much better for many of the game’s smaller prizes.

“With the reward being so high, I bought one kind of impulsively. Why not?” Indianapolis glass artist Chris Winters said Wednesday.

Ticket prices are $2 and the game is offered in 45 states, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.