US lottery player wins $1.8B Powerball on Christmas Eve

By AFP December 25, 2025 | 06:42 pm PT

The Powerball draw on the night of Dec. 24, 2025. Photo by AP

A lucky lottery player in the U.S. state of Arkansas has won the $1.8 billion Powerball prize, the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won, the gambling game's organizer said on Thursday.

"With final ticket sales, the Powerball jackpot reached $1.817 billion, making it the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won and the largest Powerball prize this year," Powerball said in a statement.

The drawing was held on Christmas Eve.

The winner can claim the full amount in 30 annual payments or opt for a one-off cash payout of $834.9 million before tax.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.

The largest lottery bonanza in history was $2.04 billion, awarded in 2022 to a person who bought their ticket in California.