International
oi-Ashish Rana
A
historic
lottery
moment
unfolded
on
Christmas
Eve
as
a
single
ticket
sold
in
Arkansas
landed
a
staggering
$1.8
billion
Powerball
jackpot,
marking
the
second-largest
lottery
win
in
United
States
history
and
the
biggest
Powerball
prize
of
the
year.
Lottery
Ticket
Jackpot
A
single
ticket
sold
in
Arkansas
won
the
$1.817
billion
Powerball
jackpot,
the
second-largest
lottery
win
in
U.S.
history,
with
the
winning
numbers
being
4,
25,
31,
52,
59
and
Powerball
19,
and
the
winner
can
choose
an
annuity
or
a
lump-sum
cash
option.
This
marks
the
second
time
a
Powerball
winning
ticket
has
been
sold
in
Arkansas,
and
the
odds
of
winning
were
1
in
292.2
million.
The
draw
capped
weeks
of
anticipation,
with
the
jackpot
swelling
through
repeated
rollovers
before
finally
finding
a
winner.
Officials
confirmed
that
only
one
ticket
matched
all
the
required
numbers,
bringing
an
extraordinary
winning
streak
to
an
end.
Winning
Numbers
Match
in
Record
Draw
According
to
a
report
by
CBS
News,
the
Arkansas
ticket
matched
all
six
numbers
drawn:
4,
25,
31,
52,
59,
along
with
the
red
Powerball
number
19.
The
ticket
also
included
a
2x
multiplier.
The
final
prize
climbed
to
an
estimated
$1.817
billion
following
last-minute
ticket
purchases,
as
listed
on
the
official
Powerball
website.
Tuesday
night’s
draw
was
the
47th
in
this
jackpot
cycle,
setting
a
new
Powerball
record
for
the
most
consecutive
draws
without
a
jackpot
winner.
‘Life-Changing
Prize,’
Says
Powerball
Official
Powerball
officials
described
the
win
as
historic
and
transformative.
“Congratulations
to
the
newest
Powerball
jackpot
winner!
This
is
truly
an
extraordinary,
life-changing
prize,” said
Matt
Strawn,
Powerball
Product
Group
Chair
and
Iowa
Lottery
CEO.
He
also
highlighted
the
broader
impact
of
lottery
participation.
“We
also
want
to
thank
all
the
players
who
joined
in
this
jackpot
streak;
every
ticket
purchased
helps
support
public
programs
and
services
across
the
country,”
Strawn
added.
Rare
Win
for
Arkansas
This
marks
only
the
second
time
a
Powerball
jackpot-winning
ticket
has
been
sold
in
Arkansas.
The
first
such
win
in
the
state
dates
back
to
2010,
according
to
officials.
The
identity
of
the
latest
winner
has
not
yet
been
made
public.
Payout
Options
and
Long
Odds
The
winner
now
faces
a
major
financial
decision.
They
can
opt
for
the
full
$1.817
billion
annuity
paid
over
30
years
or
take
a
lump-sum
cash
option
of
approximately
$834.9
million
before
taxes.
Under
the
annuity
plan,
the
payout
begins
with
an
initial
instalment
followed
by
29
annual
payments
that
rise
by
five
percent
each
year.
Despite
the
eye-watering
prize,
the
odds
of
winning
remain
extremely
slim
at
1
in
292.2
million.
Powerball
tickets
are
priced
at
$2
and
are
sold
across
45
US
states,
Washington
DC,
Puerto
Rico
and
the
US
Virgin
Islands.
For
context,
the
largest
Powerball
jackpot
ever
recorded
was
$2.04
billion,
won
in
California
in
November
2022.
