A Powerball player in Arkansas has an extra reason to celebrate this Christmas.
The Wednesday, Dec. 24 drawing offered a $1.817 billion jackpot for anyone who matched all five white balls plus the red Powerball — and a single ticket sold in Arkansas hit every number. The win is the second-largest jackpot in Powerball history and the biggest jackpot of 2025.
The winning numbers were white balls 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and red Powerball 19. The prize also includes a cash option of $834.9 million.
“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, in a release. “We also want to thank all the players who joined in this jackpot streak – every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”
This marks the second time an Arkansas ticket has claimed the Powerball jackpot, following a winning ticket sold in the state in 2010.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(979x1058:981x1060):format(webp)/Powerball-Arkansas-122525-03-9c38a48f892443bc916c06b9c5437291.jpg)
Other players also cashed in on the holiday drawing. Eight tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million each, with winners in Indiana, Michigan, New York (2), Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Another 114 tickets won $50,000, and 31 tickets won $100,000.
Powerball says the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9, while the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
The jackpot streak lasted 47 drawings, which the release described as a record for the most consecutive drawings in a single cycle. “This jackpot is set to deliver the ultimate windfall,” Strawn said in an earlier release on Dec. 18.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Powerball-tickets-02-121525-fbf9efa57c9343d9aeb4f3b0bcd08fb9.jpg)
Powerball tickets cost $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The previous jackpot was won on Sept. 6, when two tickets in Missouri and Texas split a $1.787 billion top prize.
The largest Powerball jackpot on record was won on Nov. 7, 2022, when a single ticket in California claimed $2.04 billion.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
