(LOOTPRESS) – Powerball® could deliver the ultimate life-changing prize this Christmas Eve. No ticket matched all six numbers drawn last night, pushing the jackpot to an estimated $1.70 billion for Wednesday night’s drawing. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $781.3 million.
Wednesday’s jackpot ranks as the fourth largest in Powerball history and among U.S. lottery games.
“Much like the holidays, Powerball is a game that brings people together to dream big and hope for a brighter future,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO. “We hope this growing jackpot inspires excitement and joy, and, most importantly, good will to all. A portion of every ticket helps support programs and services that benefit local communities.”
Historically, the Powerball® jackpot has been won once on Christmas Eve (2011) and four times on Christmas Day (1996, 2002, 2010 and 2013).
The jackpot rolled last night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn – white balls 3, 18, 36, 41, 54 and red Powerball 7. The Power Play® multiplier was 2.
Although there was no jackpot winner, U.S. lotteries are reminding players to check their tickets carefully, as many tickets won cash prizes in last night’s drawing.
Nationwide, nine tickets matched all five white balls to $1 million prizes. The winning Match 5 tickets were sold in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York (2), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
The drawing also produced 107 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 28 tickets that won $100,000 prizes. Note: In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.
In the Double Play® drawing, two tickets sold in Florida and Maryland won $500,000 prizes after matching all five black balls. Double Play is a $1 add-on feature that allows players to player their Powerball numbers, again, in a separate drawing for a chance to win up to $10 million. The Double Play drawing is live streamed on Powerball.com following the main Powerball drawing.
Wednesday’s Powerball drawing will be the 47th in the current jackpot run – a game record for the most drawings in a jackpot cycle. The Powerball jackpot was last won on Sept. 6 by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize.
If a player wins Wednesday’s jackpot, they will have the choice between an annuitized prize estimated at $1.70 billion or a lump sum payment estimated at $781.3 million. Both prize options are before taxes. If the winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year.
Powerball® tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Since its first drawing in 1992, the Powerball game has helped generate more than $37 billion for good causes supported by U.S. lotteries.
Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Fla. Powerball drawings are also live streamed on Powerball.com.
The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
Record U.S. Lottery Jackpots
- $2.04 Billion – Powerball – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.787 Billion – Powerball – Sept. 6, 2025 – MO, TX
- $1.765 Billion – Powerball – Oct. 11, 2023 – CA
- $1.70 Billion est. – Powerball – Dec. 24, 2025
- $1.602 Billion – Mega Millions – Aug. 8, 2023 – FL
- $1.586 Billion – Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.537 Billion – Mega Millions – Oct. 23, 2018 – SC
- $1.348 Billion – Mega Millions – Jan. 13, 2023 – ME
- $1.337 Billion – Mega Millions – July 29, 2022 – IL
- $1.326 Billion – Powerball – April 6, 2024 – OR
