A player in Arkansas has won the US Powerball lottery’s Christmas Eve jackpot, securing a prize of $1.81 billion, organisers announced on Thursday.
The winning numbers drawn on Wednesday night were 4, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with the Powerball number 19.
The sole winning ticket was sold in Cabot, Arkansas.
According to the lottery’s rules, the winner can choose between an immediate lump-sum payment of $834.9 million or an annuity paid out over approximately 30 years totalling the full jackpot amount. Both prize options are subject to taxation.
The record for the largest US lottery win remains $2.04 billion, claimed by a single ticket holder in California in November 2022.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292.2 million.
The jackpot has been reset to $20 million for the next draw on Saturday night.
