The Powerball lottery produced a winning ticket for its $1.8 billion Christmas Eve jackpot, marking the 47th drawing in the current jackpot cycle, a record for the game, officials said Wednesday.
The massive prize has captivated players across the United States and comes after an extended run of unclaimed jackpots.
“This is a historic moment for Powerball,” said Sarah Thompson, a spokesperson for the Multi State Lottery Association, which operates the game.
The 47th drawing in a single jackpot cycle is unprecedented, and the excitement around this holiday jackpot has been extraordinary.
Powerball began in 1992 and has grown into one of the most widely played lotteries in the United States, with tickets sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
The jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is only the second in history to exceed $1 billion in consecutive draws, officials said.
The last Powerball jackpot winner was in September, when two tickets split a $1.787 billion prize in Missouri and Texas.
In 2022, a single ticket in Altadena, California, claimed a $2.04 billion jackpot, the largest in both Powerball and US lottery history. Winning the jackpot requires matching all five white balls and the red Powerball drawn.
Winners can select a lump sum payment or a 30 year annuity, starting with an immediate payment followed by annual payments increasing by 5 percent each year. Both options are before taxes, officials said.
Lottery analysts noted the rarity of such large jackpots and the influence of odds on ticket sales. “The odds of winning the grand prize are one in 292.2 million,” said Dr. Mark Reynolds, a statistician at the University of Chicago.
“Changes in the game’s design, like increasing white balls from 59 to 69 in 2015, have made jackpots harder to win but have driven ticket sales higher during record runs.”
Economists say that massive jackpots often attract players who normally do not participate in lotteries. “Jackpots over a billion dollars create a cultural phenomenon,” said Lisa Gomez, an economist specializing in consumer behavior.
“People are drawn by the scale and the story, even though the odds remain extremely slim.” Powerball’s odds have tightened over the years. Before 2015, when the game had 59 white balls and 35 red balls, the odds of winning the jackpot were one in 175.2 million.
Since the redesign, the chance of hitting the grand prize has dropped to one in 292.2 million. Historically, jackpots have reached high numbers with increasing frequency in the last decade.
Powerball has been won on Christmas Eve only once, in 2011, and four times on Christmas Day, according to lottery records. The current $1.8 billion prize ranks among the top five jackpots in U.S. lottery history.
Across the country, players shared excitement over the holiday jackpot. “I never play regularly, but this year I just had to try,” said Michael Carter, a schoolteacher from Ohio.
“It’s Christmas Eve, and seeing that numberBit feels like anything is possible.”
Retailers also reported a surge in ticket sales leading up to Wednesday’s drawing.
“We sold out of tickets three times this week,” said Tanya Mitchell, manager of a convenience store in Florida. “Everyone wants a chance at this one, and the atmosphere has been electric.”
If no winning ticket had been claimed, the prize would have continued to grow, officials said. Future drawings for Powerball are scheduled for Saturdays and Wednesdays, and jackpots can reach even higher levels if unclaimed.
Lottery officials reminded players that odds remain long, but the opportunity for life changing prizes continues to draw public attention.
The $1.8 billion Christmas Eve Powerball jackpot represents a historic moment for the game, setting records for both the number of drawings and consecutive billion dollar prizes.
While odds remain steep, the combination of a holiday jackpot and widespread public interest underscores the enduring popularity of Powerball across the United States.
