A lottery player in the United States has won a $1.8bn Powerball jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize ever recorded in the country, according to the game’s organisers on Thursday.
The winning ticket was sold in the US state of Arkansas, with the jackpot won on Christmas Eve.
According to DailyMail, Powerball officials said the winning numbers were white balls 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the red Powerball being 19. The odds of winning the jackpot were put at one in 292.2 million, with tickets costing $2.
The $1.8bn prize carries a cash option of $834.9m, according to a statement by Powerball.
The identity of the winner was not disclosed.
Reacting to the win, Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery Chief Executive Officer, Matt Strawn, described the prize as “an extraordinary, life-changing jackpot.”
Lottery winners are given the option of receiving the prize as an annuity—paid in 30 instalments over 29 years, totalling $1.817bn with annual increases of five per cent—or as a one-time lump sum cash payment of $834.9m. The winnings are subject to federal taxes and, in some cases, state taxes.
Most jackpot winners traditionally opt for the lump sum payment.
The largest lottery jackpot in US history was recorded in 2022, when a Powerball player won $2.04bn.
Powerball was launched in 1992 and is played in nearly all states across the United States.
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