A Powerball player in Arkansas has won a $1.817 billion lottery jackpot

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By OLIVIA DIAZ
Updated 12:07 AM CST, December 25, 2025
Leer en español

A Powerball player in Arkansas won a $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner.

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

Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previous expected, making it the second-largest in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according to www.powerball.com. The jackpot had a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9 million.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, was quoted as saying by the website. “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.”



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-billion-lottery-christmas-eve-289d1c7e4d43986b0984e70d4ca33ef3

[LiberalArkie]

1. Wasn't me

[IA8IT]

2. Well.......I'll just go back to bed today............

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. I stand a better chance being hit by lightening in December, than winning the POWERBALL.

Had I bought a ticket, 3 of my numbers would have showed up. But I did not.

[lastlib]

5. I don't play, because I've already been hit by lightning......

(not directly, but within 20 feet of me---close enough to blow me off my feet.)

Well, the real reason I don't play is that being a math geek, I fully understand the probabilities involved, and I work too hard for the money to throw it away. I also regard lotteries as undemocratic, in that they prey on the lower class people who can least afford to be throwing away money, and reward a very few.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

8. It is only at Christmas time I buy Scratch-offs

For the Family Christmas cards. It gives one pleasure to win a few bucks.

[Callie1979]

9. All purchases are voluntary. If you choose to waste your $ its YOUR decision.

Our lottery in GA has given tuition assistance to over 2 million students since inception. Now technical colleges are included too. I'm fine with that.
"Free will" and all that.

[EYESORE 9001]

11. I dabbled in the mathematical arts myself

but even with the infinitesimal odds of winning, this person just won.

[Bengus81]

14. Pretty simple then,don't buy any tickets. No one is forcing anyone

[mdbl]

16. You can't win if you don't play

LOL

[lastlib]

22. And you DON'T win if you DO play....

It's that simple. You lose. You might as well take those dollar bills out and set a match to them.

[mdbl]

25. That all depends on how you look at it.

Even though I meant that statement as a joke, I will play small amounts in the Lottery in my state because it earmarked all the funds for education, unlike other states that said they would do that and didn't. Anyway, my kids all went to college on the money backed by the lottery and graduated with no debt. If playing once in a while helps others do the same then I'm all for it. Of course you should never gamble with money you're not completely willing to lose.

[Aussie105]

18. Never seen lotteries as a good use of money.

Mathematically the odds are horrible.

Morally for every winner there are thousands if not millions of disappointed losers.

Just wishful greed.

Anyhow congrats to the winner, and all their new friends.

[airplaneman]

20. That happened to me and my sister also

We arrived at Lake Arrowhead for a camping trip and a bolt of lightning landed about 12 feet away from us as we just got out of the car. The flash and boom were at the same time. Both of us were on the ground but not hurt. Amazing experience. Yes the lotery is a tax on people not good in math same for me I invest my money and don't gamble it.
-Airplane

[lastlib]

23. Glad you're all OK!

That's kinda scary!

[twodogsbarking]

4. I hope they aren't, you know, Republicaaan.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Beyond a certain level they should cap the top prize and make more smaller winners

Last edited Thu Dec 25, 2025, 03:03 PM - Edit history (1)

This system feeds greed and tax revenue. Spread the wealth.

Furthermore huge jackpots are fomenting class warfare, greed, materialism, and gambling ruins people's financial futures more than they will care to admit. It's almost financial terrorism.

[Callie1979]

7. I think they should break it into 180 10 million dollar prizes.

That would be really exciting.
Although I have no idea how you could do it to limit the number of winners.

[forthemiddle]

26. Am I missing something?

Only one person matched all the #s with the Powerball. Are you saying keep drawing numbers until 180 winners are chosen? That would take forever!
If that’s not what you mean, then the ONE a player that matched the numbers would still win all 180 10 million dollar prizes.

[Callie1979]

27. What I meant was they should just have 180 drawings for 10M ea

Or whatever the number would be; it could be half that number with a 20M prize. WOuldnt take terribly long & if it was a TV show it would even be exciting.
But like I said, I have no idea HOW it could be done where MORE than the 180 "winning combos" came up
It just seems like these high amounts could change the lives of SO many more people than the way its done now.
Although we all know people who "Only play when it gets really big", like winning 5M isnt a life changing amount!

[EarthFirst]

10. Do well; do good with your new found wealth... nt

[Ranting Randy]

12. Is somone's going to buy the whole state of Arkansas!?

[BOSSHOG]

13. And most of Oklahoma!

WOO PIG SOOIE!

[Mawspam2]

15. Arkansas, huh? Was it one of the Walmart spawn?

[Cheezoholic]

17. What gets me is the bigger it is the more people play? 40 or 50 million ain't enough eh? Describes America to a T! n/t

[taxi]

19. That dashes the hopes and dreams of my coworkers.

All day Wednesday they had such high hopes of never working again, of being able to sit on the steps of their trailers and smoke name brand cigarettes. But because they each scraped up $20 to get in the pool they'll be out of cigarettes until payday. The horror.

[RussBLib]

21. 8 people won $1million

114 people won $50,000 (not bad, but not much)
Over 11,000 won $100 (big whoop)
The next prize level is $7.

They really should spread the wealth a bit more. More winners of $1M, $5M, $10M might attract even more players.

The odds still suck, but somebody is going to win, and you don't win if you don't play, blah blah.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. I seriously wouldn't even want that much money.

I don’t know if I could give it away quick enough.

Maybe I could be convinced…