A monumental lottery event has transpired in Arkansas, where a solitary Powerball ticket secured a staggering $1.817 billion jackpot in the drawing held on December 24th. This colossal prize stands as the second-largest ever awarded to a single ticket in the game’s history.
The winning combination, which precisely matched all six numbers—4, 25, 31, 52, 59, and the red Powerball 19—grants the anonymous winner a critical financial decision. They can elect to receive the full advertised amount through an annuity distributed over 29 years or opt for a substantial lump-sum cash payment of $834.9 million, a choice most previous winners have favored for its immediacy.
This landmark win is a rare occurrence for the state of Arkansas. Lottery officials confirmed this is only the second time a Powerball jackpot has been claimed on a ticket sold within its borders. The identity of the fortunate individual remains protected, as is standard protocol.
The record for the largest single-ticket jackpot remains unbroken, held by a $2.04 billion prize won in Altadena, California, in 2022. The odds of achieving such a feat are astronomically low, calculated at approximately 1 in 292.2 million for each $2 ticket purchased.
Since its inception in 1992, the Powerball game has expanded its reach and is now available for play in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Any windfall of this magnitude is subject to mandatory federal taxation, which can claim between 24% and 37% of the prize, with additional state taxes typically applied depending on the winner’s location.