Single Powerball Ticket in Cabot Arkansas Wins $1.817 Billion Jackpot

A single ticket sold in Cabot, Arkansas matched all six winning numbers in the Powerball drawing held on Wednesday, Dec. 24, producing an advertised jackpot of $1.817 billion, lottery officials announced on Dec. 25. The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with a Powerball of 19. The prize ranks as the second largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever awarded and is the largest Powerball prize in 2025.

The ticket holder may elect to receive the advertised annuity paid over roughly 29 to 30 years or a one time cash option of $834.9 million. Officials noted that tax withholdings and state tax implications will be outlined when a claimant comes forward, details that were not disclosed in initial postings. The odds of winning the jackpot were 1 in 292.2 million.

Alongside the top prize, the drawing produced dozens of significant secondary winners. Eight players matched all five white balls to win $1 million each. Thirty one tickets captured $100,000 prizes and 114 tickets claimed $50,000 prizes. Officials did not provide locations for all secondary winning tickets in the initial announcement.

Cabot, the community where the winning ticket was sold, has an estimated population of roughly 27,000 and sits about 26 miles northeast of Little Rock. No winner identity, retailer name or claim timing was provided in the first reports. Once a claimant files, the Arkansas Lottery will typically process validation, outline tax obligations and disburse the payment according to the claimant’s chosen option.

The Dec. 24 win ended a stretch of approximately three months without a top prize, following a Sept. 6 drawing when two tickets sold in Missouri and Texas split a $1.787 billion jackpot. This Powerball result also revived a sparse set of holiday jackpot outcomes, with the game last producing a Christmas Eve winner in 2011 and producing Christmas Day winners on four occasions, most recently in 2013.

Large jackpots carry immediate local economic effects and broader policy questions. Retailers who sell winning tickets often receive a commission that can have a material local impact. State officials and lawmakers may face renewed scrutiny over how lottery proceeds are allocated and whether existing transparency and consumer protection safeguards are adequate, especially given the outsized public attention such jackpots attract. Lotteries are a significant revenue source for many states, and sudden large payouts can focus debate on priorities for those funds.

With the jackpot claimed, Powerball will reset to a $20 million starting prize for the next drawing scheduled for Saturday. Journalists and officials alike are likely to follow whether a claimant steps forward, how quickly validation proceeds, and how tax and payout choices are resolved.