Arkansas Wins $1.8 Billion Powerball Jackpot

Table of Contents

LOS ANGELES – A ticket that matched all six numbers in the most recent Powerball lottery drawing was sold in Arkansas, offering the winner a choice between an annuitized prize of $1.817 billion, which is the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, or a lump sum payment of $834.9 million. These figures are before taxes, as reported by the Multi-State Lottery Association, which oversees the game.

If the winner chooses the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year. This structure ensures that the prize grows over time, providing long-term financial benefits.

The winning numbers for the latest drawing were 4, 25, 31, 52, 59, and the Powerball number was 19. This draw marked the 47th since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold, setting a new record for the longest gap between jackpot wins in the history of the Powerball game, which began in 1992.

Prior to this, a ticket with all six numbers was sold on September 6, when one ticket each was sold in Missouri and Texas, resulting in a $1.787 billion jackpot, which was then the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.

The odds of matching all five main numbers and the Powerball number are 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The overall chance of winning any prize is 1 in 24.9.

There were eight tickets that matched five numbers but missed the Powerball number. One of these tickets was sold at a convenience store in Chino Hills and was worth $2,811,275, as announced by the California Lottery.

In other states, tickets with five numbers but missing the Powerball number are typically worth $1 million or $2 million. However, in California, major payoffs for lottery games are determined on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the payout depends on sales and the number of winners.

The other seven tickets that matched five numbers but missed the Powerball number — two in New York and one each in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia — are each worth $1 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

The largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was $2.04 billion for the November 7, 2022, Powerball drawing, with the winning ticket sold at a gas station in Altadena.

Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The jackpot for the upcoming Saturday drawing is set at $20 million.