SILENT NIGHT, LUCKY NIGHT: Powerball Lottery Pays $1.8 Billion on Xmas Eve

It’s a wonderful life for the person in Arkansas who won the $1.817 billion jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing. The second-largest lottery windfall in US history ended a three-month stretch without a top-prize claimant for the lottery game.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” Matt Strawn, Powerball product group chair and Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn said on the  Powerball website. “We also want to thank all the players who joined in this jackpot streak – every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”

The last drawing with a jackpot winner was on September 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787 billion.

The lucky ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $1.817 billion or a lump sump payment of $834.9 million before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.

Nationwide, eight tickets matched all five white balls, earning the Match 5 prize of $1 million each. These winning tickets were sold in California, Indiana, Michigan, New York (2), Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

As always, California’s prize amounts are pari‑mutuel, meaning that payouts vary based on sales and the number of winners.

The drawing also produced he 114 winning tickets worth $50,000 and 31 worth $100,000.

Powerballs of Holly

The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, according to Powerball. The company added that the sweepstakes also has been won on Christmas Day four times, most recently in 2013.

Powerball’s long odds — 1 in 292.2 million — are intentionally designed to create massive jackpots by allowing prize pools to grow through repeated rollovers. Tickets cost $2, and the game is available in 45 states, plus Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.