A Powerball player from Arkansas won a whopping $1.817 billion (£1.34 billion) jackpot in the Christmas Eve drawing, making it the second-largest lottery prize ever won.
The single winning ticket matched all six numbers – 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the red Powerball 19, giving the winner the opportunity to receive a lump sum cash payout of $834.9 million.
This is only the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won on a ticket sold in Arkansas, the lottery operator said. Powerball has not determined a winner.
The largest single prize remains the $2.04 billion jackpot won in 2022 by a player from Altadena, California.
To win the jackpot, the lottery ticket holder must match all five white balls and the red Powerball selected during the drawing.
Lottery tickets cost $2 each and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to game organizers.
The winner has the option of choosing a lump sum payment or receiving the entire amount as an annuity payable over 29 years, but most winners choose the upfront payment option.
The game, which began in 1992, is played in 45 of the 50 US states, in the capital Washington, and the US territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Winnings are subject to federal taxes ranging from 24% to 37% and, in most cases, state taxes.
