Arkansas Lottery Finally Addresses $1.817 Billion Powerball Winner
Posted on: December 31, 2025, 11:18h.
Last updated on: December 31, 2025, 11:18h.
- The Arkansas Lottery has finally issued a statement on the Dec. 24 Powerball jackpot win
- The press release on the historic win comes six days after the drawing
The Arkansas Lottery has finally acknowledged the state’s biggest lottery win in history.
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery was presumably on vacation over the Christmas holiday. After six days, lottery officials have finally issued a release on the Christmas Eve win.
“Winning Powerball Ticket Worth $1.817 Billion Sold in Cabot,” the Dec. 30 lottery press release was titled. State lotteries typically promote such major wins quickly, but in Arkansas, lottery officials apparently enjoyed their time off before responding to the historic news.
As Casino.org has been reporting, the winning ticket for the second-largest lottery jackpot in the history of the United States. The ticket was sold at the Murphy USA gas station in Cabot for the Dec. 24 drawing. The ticket matched the winning numbers of 4, 25, 31, 52, 59, and the red Powerball 19.
Lottery Statement
Nearly a week after the momentous win, officials with the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery detailed that the owner of the life-changing ticket has the option of taking a one-time cash payment of $834.9 million or the full annuitized prize paid out through 30 annual payments of $1.817 billion. Both prizes are before federal taxes of 37% and state taxes of 3.9%.
“This is a great moment for the state of Arkansas,” said Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Executive Director Sharon Strong.
For one thing, it will contribute positively to the state tax revenue. Beyond that, the winning ticket was sold at an Arkansas-based company, Murphy USA, bringing the impact full circle. It demonstrates how beneficial the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery is to our state, from the players’ winnings to the retailer commissions that support our local communities and, ultimately, the funds raised for in-state scholarships,” Strong added.
For selling the winning Powerball ticket, the Cabot Murphy USA convenience store receives a $50,000 commission. The Arkansas Lottery Scholarship’s proceeds from the Powerball run contribute to the lottery’s mission of funding Arkansas student scholarships.
State Warning
In the wake of the life-altering Powerball win, several people in Arkansas have claimed to be the big winner. The Arkansas Lottery says anyone who tries to redeem the prize without being the rightful owner of the ticket faces a Class D felony charge.
Fraudulent tickets will be subject to investigation and could lead to arrest,” advised Arkansas Lottery Scholarship Director of Investigation and Enforcement Blake Hudson.
The Powerball ticket has not yet been redeemed. The winner has 180 days from Dec. 24 to redeem the prize. The winner can remain anonymous for three years until their identity becomes part of the public record.
However, if the winner is an elected official or a family member of an elected official, the three-year anonymity is not afforded.
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery says it has “an extensive authorization process in place to validate whether a ticket is a winning ticket.” Fraudsters, be warned.
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