Arkansas Powerball player strikes $1.8bn jackpot on Christmas Eve

A Powerball player in Arkansas has won a whopping $1.817bn (£1.34bn) jackpot in the Christmas Eve draw, making it the second biggest lottery prize ever won.

The single winning ticket matched all six numbers (4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the red Powerball 19), giving the winner the option to receive a lump sum cash payout of $834.9 million.

This marks only the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won with a ticket sold in Arkansas, according to the lottery operator. Powerball did not determine the winner.

The largest single-ticket prize remains the $2.04 billion jackpot won in 2022 by a player in Altadena, California.

To win the jackpot, the lottery ticket holder must match all five white balls and the red Powerball selected during the drawing.

Lottery tickets cost $2 each and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to game organizers.

The winner has the option of choosing a lump sum payment or receiving the full amount in the annuity paid over 29 years, but most winners choose the upfront cash option.

The game, which started in 1992, is played in 45 of the 50 states of the USA, in the capital Washington and in the US territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Earnings are subject to federal taxes of 24% to 37% and, in most cases, state taxes.