An Arkansas resident hit the jackpot, winning a staggering $1.817 billion in the Powerball drawing held on Wednesday, Christmas Eve. This win concludes a three-month dry spell during which no one claimed the top prize.

The numbers drawn were 04, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with the Powerball number being 19.

Thanks to final ticket sales, the jackpot surged beyond initial projections, making it the second-largest ever in U.S. history and the biggest Powerball prize of 2025, as reported by www.powerball.com. The winner had the option of a lump sum cash payment of $834.9 million.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” remarked Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, as quoted on the website. “We also want to extend our gratitude to all participants in this jackpot run — every ticket sold contributes to funding public programs and services nationwide.”

This prize comes after 46 consecutive draws without a winner matching all six numbers.

The last drawing with a jackpot winner was Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion.

Organizers said it is the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas. It first happened in 2010.

The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, Powerball said. The company added that the sweepstakes also has been won on Christmas Day four times, most recently in 2013.

Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes.

“With the prize so high, I just bought one kind of impulsively. Why not?” Indianapolis glass artist Chris Winters said Wednesday.

Tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.