One Lucky Ticket Wins Massive $1.82 Billion Powerball on Christmas Eve

Powerball Christmas Eve Shock: One Ticket, One Massive Win

Christmas Eve delivered a jaw-dropping moment for lottery fans. The Powerball jackpot had climbed to nearly $1.82 billion, making it the second-largest prize in U.S. lottery history—and yes, someone actually won it.

? A Holiday Miracle

One lucky ticket sold in Arkansas matched all six numbers, locking in the full $1.817 billion jackpot. The winner can choose a cash payout of $834.9 million. Powerball confirmed it was the biggest Powerball win of the year and the second-largest lottery prize ever in the U.S.

? Winning Numbers (December 24, 2025)

• White balls: 4, 25, 31, 52, 59

• Powerball: 19

• Power Play: 2X

? Big Wins Beyond the Jackpot

The excitement didn’t stop with the grand prize:

• 8 players across the country won $1 million by matching five white balls

• Winners were in California, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and two in New York

• 114 players scored $100,000 by matching four numbers plus the Powerball

? How This Ranks in History

• Largest U.S. lottery win ever: $2.04 billion (California, November 7, 2022)

• The previous Powerball jackpot was split in September by tickets sold in Missouri and Texas, totaling $1.787 billion

?? What’s Next?

• Next drawing: Saturday, December 27

• Estimated jackpot: $20 million

• Estimated cash option: $9.2 million

?? Powerball Basics

• Ticket price: $2 per play

• Power Play add-on: $1 (can multiply non-jackpot prizes up to 10X)

? Prize Breakdown (Highlights)

• Jackpot: Match 5 white balls + Powerball

• $1 million: Match 5 white balls

• $50,000: Match 4 white balls + Powerball

• Smaller prizes start at $4

? The Odds

• Odds of winning the jackpot: 1 in 292.2 million

Bottom line: Christmas Eve turned into a once-in-a-lifetime moment for one winner—and a thrilling reminder for everyone else to double-check those tickets.