One fortunate individual received a remarkable Christmas present from a local gas station – a winning Powerball ticket that secured them the grand prize of a 1.817 billion dollar (£1.34 billion) jackpot.
The winning Powerball ticket was purchased at a gas station located outside Little Rock, Arkansas, during the Christmas Eve draw, marking the end of a three-month period without a top-prize winner in the lottery game.
Officials from the Arkansas lottery disclosed that the winning ticket was sold at a Murphy USA in Cabot, a community of around 27,000 people situated 26 miles from Little Rock. The gas station remained closed on Christmas Day.
The final ticket sales exceeded expectations, resulting in the staggering jackpot amount for the fortunate winner, making it the second-largest in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025 as reported by www.powerball.com.
The jackpot offered a lump sum cash payment option of 834.9 million dollars (£617 million).
Matt Strawn, the Powerball Product Group chairman and Iowa Lottery chief executive, expressed his congratulations to the latest Powerball jackpot winner, emphasizing the life-changing nature of the prize. He also acknowledged all the players who participated in the jackpot streak, highlighting the support provided to public programs and services through ticket purchases.
According to Karen Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas lottery, the identity of the winner will remain unknown until at least Monday, as winners are required to contact a claims center which was closed for Christmas.
The jackpot win followed 46 consecutive draws without a matching winner. The previous jackpot winners were from Missouri and Texas, who won 1.787 billion dollars (£1.32 billion) on September 6.
The Powerball game’s odds of one in 292.2 million are structured to create substantial jackpots, with prizes increasing when there are no winners.
Lottery officials noted that the odds are more favorable for the game’s numerous smaller prizes. Tickets are priced at two dollars (£1.47), and the game is available in 45 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.