December 25, 2025 — Little Rock, Arkansas — A single Powerball ticket sold in Arkansas won the Christmas Eve drawing, claiming a nearly $1.817 billion jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history and the biggest Powerball prize of 2025. The win came just a day before Christmas, turning what is typically a festive season into one of the most remarkable in American lottery history.
Historic Jackpot and Winning Numbers
The winning numbers drawn on Wednesday, December 24 were:
- White balls: 4, 25, 31, 52, 59
- Powerball: 19
- Power Play: 2X
Only a single ticket matched all six numbers. This rare jackpot victory ended a streak of 46 consecutive drawings with no top-prize winner, a record for the most draws in a single Powerball jackpot cycle.
Prize Breakdown and Options
The jackpot winner now faces two payment choices:
- Annuity Option: Payments totaling $1.817 billion spread over 30 years with annual increases of about 5 percent.
- Lump-Sum Cash Option: A one-time payment estimated at $834.9 million before taxes.
After mandatory federal tax withholdings and potential additional federal and state taxes, the final amount the winner receives could be significantly less, depending on choices and tax planning. Experts say winners almost always choose the lump sum, even though the annuity totals more over time.
Rarity and Odds
Hitting the Powerball jackpot is extraordinarily difficult. The odds of matching all five white balls and the Powerball are roughly 1 in 292.2 million, meaning that even with heavy ticket sales and escalating jackpots, a winner is never guaranteed.
Powerball tickets cost $2 each and are sold in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are broadcast live three times weekly — Monday, Wednesday and Saturday — from Tallahassee, Florida.
Secondary Winners and Prize Tiers
In addition to the jackpot winner, numerous tickets won secondary prizes in the same drawing:
- Eight tickets matched all five white balls without the Powerball, each winning $1 million, with winners across several states including New York, California, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
- Many more tickets captured lower-tier prizes ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, reflecting the broad participation nationwide.
Historical Context
This jackpot ranks just below the largest U.S. lottery prize ever — a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in California in November 2022. The previous record in 2025 was a $1.787 billion Powerball prize split between ticket holders in Missouri and Texas on September 6.
Remarkably, Powerball jackpots have now topped $1 billion in consecutive cycles, underscoring how long rollovers can build massive prizes in the modern lottery era.
Arkansas: A Rare Jackpot Home
The winner’s ticket was sold in Arkansas, marking only the second Powerball jackpot ever won by a ticket from that state — the first was a much smaller prize won in 2010.
Under Arkansas law, winners of prizes above a certain threshold may remain anonymous for three years, offering privacy protections that many lottery winners value.
Nationwide Buzz and Holiday Impact
The jackpot soared as millions of Americans bought tickets leading up to Christmas, spurred by holiday optimism and widespread media attention. Many players said they bought tickets on impulse or as part of family traditions, hoping for a dream-changing outcome.
State lotteries also benefit financially from high jackpot publicity. A significant portion of ticket sales supports public programs such as education, parks, veterans services and economic development. Lottery officials emphasized that every ticket helps contribute to these causes even if it doesn’t win the top prize.
What Comes Next
Following this life-changing win, the Powerball jackpot will reset to its starting level of $20 million for the next scheduled drawing. The Power Play multiplier feature will also be active again once the jackpot resets, allowing players to multiply non-jackpot winnings by up to 10 times.
Experts encourage responsible play despite the excitement, reminding the public that lotteries are games of chance, and winnings — though thrilling — demand careful financial planning and consideration.
Summary
In a rare and historic turn of events, a single Powerball ticket sold in Arkansas matched all winning numbers on Christmas Eve, claiming a $1.817 billion jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize ever in the U.S. The winner now faces choices on how to receive the payout, and the win has energized players nationwide while highlighting the massive scale and long odds of major lottery jackpots.
