BREAKING: The historic Powerball jackpot has a winner, with a staggering $1.817 billion claimed by a single ticket sold in Arkansas. Two lucky players in New York are also waking up as millionaires after matching all five white balls in the drawing held on December 24, 2023.
The winning New York tickets were purchased at Smiley’s Stop N Shop in Sidney, Delaware County, and at Ultra Fuel in Lindenhurst, Suffolk County. Each ticket is worth $1 million after successfully matching the white balls: 4, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with a red Powerball of 19. The Power Play multiplier for this draw was 2.
This jackpot win marks a significant moment in U.S. lottery history, as the Arkansas winner becomes the second-largest lottery winner ever, with a cash option of $834.9 million available before taxes. The winner has the choice between an annuitized prize of $1.817 billion or a lump sum payment of $834.9 million. The annuity option consists of an immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5 percent each year.
In addition to the jackpot, New York also saw eight tickets winning $50,000, and over 252 tickets winning $100, alongside thousands of smaller prizes. Nationwide, eight tickets matched all five white balls, yielding at least $1 million in winnings. These Match 5 winners were spread across several states including California, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Wednesday’s drawing was a record-breaking event, marking the 47th drawing in the jackpot run, surpassing previous records for the most drawings in a single jackpot cycle. The last jackpot was won on September 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas, which shared a prize of $1.787 billion. This is notably the second time a Powerball jackpot has been won in Arkansas, the first occurring in 2010.
As anticipation builds for the next drawing on Saturday night, the Powerball jackpot resets to $20 million. Tickets are priced at $2 per play and are available in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9, while the odds of snagging the jackpot stand at a daunting 1 in 292.2 million.
Stay tuned for updates as more details emerge about this record-setting win and what it means for players across the country. Will you be the next big winner? Powerball continues to captivate millions with its life-changing potential.
