A Powerball ticket sold in Arkansas has won a $1.817bn (£1.34bn) jackpot in a Christmas Eve drawing, marking the second-largest lottery prize ever claimed.
The winning ticket matched all six numbers drawn — 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the red Powerball 19 — giving the holder the choice between the full jackpot paid out over time or a lump-sum cash payment of $834.9m.
Lottery officials said it is only the second time a Powerball jackpot has been won by a ticket purchased in Arkansas. The winner has not been identified.
The record for the largest single-ticket Powerball prize remains the $2.04bn jackpot won in 2022 by a player in Altadena, California.
To win the jackpot, players must match all five white balls and the red Powerball drawn. Tickets cost $2, and the odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 292.2 million, according to the game’s organisers.
Winners may choose between an annuity paid over 29 years or an upfront cash option, which most jackpot winners select.
Powerball launched in 1992 and is played in 45 US states, Washington DC, and the US territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Winnings are subject to federal taxes of between 24% and 37%, as well as state taxes in most jurisdictions. Photo by Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, Wikimedia commons.