A Powerball player in Arkansas has won a $1.817 billion jackpot, marking the end of a three-month period without a top-prize winner. The winning numbers for the drawing were 04, 25, 31, 52, and 59, with the Powerball number 19. This jackpot ranks as the fourth-largest in U.S. lottery history and comes after 46 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. The last time the Powerball jackpot was won was on September 6, when players in Missouri and Texas shared $1.787 billion.
In addition to the Arkansas jackpot win, a ticket sold in Chino Hills, California, matched the five main numbers and earned a $2.8 million prize.
Powerball’s odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, which helps the prize grow larger with each rollover when there is no jackpot winner. While the estimated $1.7 billion jackpot is paid out as an annuity over 29 years, most winners opt for the cash option, which for this drawing would be $735.3 million before taxes.
Powerball tickets cost $2 and the game is available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The last time a Powerball jackpot was won on Christmas Eve was in 2011, and the jackpot has been won four times on Christmas Day, most recently in 2013.