Arkansas man wins $1.82 billion Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve

Christmas came early for one Powerball player in Arkansas, who woke up to a life-changing surprise after winning the $1.82 billion Powerball jackpot in Wednesday night’s drawing, the second-largest prize in lottery history.



The winning numbers for the Christmas Eve draw were 4, 25, 31, 52, 59, with Powerball 19, according to Powerball officials.



The jackpot was initially advertised at $1.7 billion, but climbed to $1.82 billion after final ticket sales were tallied. The winner now has the option to take the full prize paid out over 29 years or choose a one-time lump sum of $834.9 million, Powerball said.



This marks only the second time the Powerball grand prize has been won on Christmas Eve. The first occurred in 2011, when an anonymous ticket holder in Maryland won $128.8 million, according to Powerball records.



“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn said. “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.”

Rare win for Arkansas as jackpot resets

The win is especially notable for Arkansas. According to the Arkansas Lottery, the state has produced only one other Powerball jackpot winner, a $25 million prize claimed on Jan. 2, 2010.



Under Arkansas law, lottery players who win $500,000 or more are allowed to remain anonymous for three years, and the latest winner has chosen to do so.



The Powerball jackpot was last won on Sept. 6, when two players from Missouri and Texas split a $1.78 billion prize. Both winners opted for the $410.3 million cash option, Powerball officials said.



Wednesday’s drawing also produced eight $1 million winners, who matched all five white balls. Two of those tickets were sold in New York, including one at a Delaware County convenience store in Sidney and another at Montauk Highway Gas Corp in Lindenhurst, according to the New York Lottery.



The odds of matching all six Powerball numbers remain 1 in 292,201,338, Powerball noted.



The only Powerball jackpot larger than Wednesday’s haul was the $2.04 billion prize won by Edwin Castro in California in November 2022.



Following the Christmas Eve win, the Powerball grand prize has now reset to $20 million for Saturday’s drawing.