Arkansas ticket holder wins .817 billion Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve.

A Powerball ticket purchased at a Murphy USA store in Cabot, Arkansas, has won an unprecedented jackpot of .817 billion, concluded during the Christmas Eve drawing. This significant win comes after a three-month period without any top-prize winners in the lottery game. The winning numbers drawn were 04, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with the Powerball number being 19.

The Murphy USA location, situated approximately 26 miles northeast of Little Rock, serves a community of about 27,000 residents. On Thursday, officials confirmed the ticket’s sale as the store remained closed for the holiday, and attempts to reach the store were unsuccessful. The price of the ticket, which is a standard , resulted in a life-altering prize for the anonymous winner.

This recent win has elevated the Powerball jackpot to become the second largest in U.S. history, eclipsed only by a previous .787 billion jackpot won in September by players in Missouri and Texas. The cash option available for this jackpot was calculated at 4.9 million. Final ticket sales contributed to the increased jackpot, far exceeding earlier projections.

Lottery officials have expressed congratulations and gratitude to all players for participating in this jackpot surge, emphasizing that ticket purchases contribute to various public programs and services nationwide. After a streak of 46 consecutive drawings without a winner, this victory marks a remarkable milestone for Powerball. Organizers noted that Arkansas has now celebrated its second Powerball jackpot win since the lottery’s inception in 2010.

Interestingly, the last occasion on which a Powerball jackpot was won on Christmas Eve took place in 2011, while Christmas Day jackpots have been recorded four times, the most recent in 2013. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot stand at a daunting 1 in 292.2 million, intentionally designed to create significant jackpots that grow with continued rollovers. However, lottery officials highlight that the odds for winning smaller prizes are considerably more favorable.

Tickets for Powerball can be purchased in 45 states, along with Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, making it accessible to a wide range of players across the country. With the excitement surrounding this monumental win, ticket sellers are likely to see an influx of demand as hopeful participants engage in the pursuit of potentially life-changing winnings.