New Year’s Powerball at $45 million after $1.8 billion win in Arkansas
2025 Christmas Eve Powerball win in Arkansas nearly broke the record of Edwin Castro of California, who won $2.04 billion Powerball in November 2022.
Someone had a very merry Christmas Eve with a Powerball prize of $1.817 billion — will there be a New Year’s Eve winner, too?
As they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”
Florida has been on a recent hot streak, too, with seven $1 million wins in less than a month.
The Wednesday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve Powerball inched close to $2 billion, but one lucky ticket had the perfect number combo. It was purchased from a Murphy USA gas station at the Walmart Supercenter in Cabot, Arkansas. The Christmas Eve jackpot was for $1.7 billion, but final ticket sales pushed it to the second-highest lottery prize in U.S. history, at $1.817 billion.
The jackpot restarted at $20 million for Saturday, Dec. 27, and after no one matched all six numbers, the prize rolled over to $33 million for Monday, Dec. 29, Powerball drawing. That rolled over, too, so the drawing for Wednesday, Dec. 31, or New Year’s Eve was $45 million, with a cash option of $20.7 million. Wednesday, Dec. 31, winning Powerball numbers were 11-18-21-24-38 and the Powerball was 26. Power Play was 10x. Those numbers will roll over and grow the jackpot into the new year.
The first Powerball jackpot of 2026, a Saturday night drawing, will be $64 million, with a cash option of $29.5 million.
There was one big winner in the New Year’s Eve Powerball drawing. A ticket purchased in Mississippi matched 5 for a $1 million prize.
In case you’re wondering, Monday, Dec. 29, winning Powerball numbers were 11-19-34-48-53 and the Powerball was 21. Power Play was 2x. There were no secondary winners in that draw.
Powerball wins in Florida amid 2025 holiday season
Though the big Powerball jackpot was hit in Arkansas, there have been recent Florida Powerball wins — seven drawings in less than a month:
- The Saturday, Dec. 20, winning Powerball numbers were 4-5-28-52-69 and the Powerball was 20. Power Play was 3x. A ticket from Publix, 9755 NW 41st St., Miami, Florida, matched 5 for $1 million.
- The Saturday, Dec. 13, winning Powerball numbers were 1-28-31-57-58 and the Powerball was 16. Power Play was 2x. One Florida ticket matched 5 for $1 million.
- The Monday, Dec. 8, Powerball numbers were 8-32-52-56-64 and the Powerball was 23. Power Play was 2x. A Florida ticket won a $1 million prize, purchased from 7-Eleven, 3991 S. Kanner Highway, Stuart, Florida, part of the Treasure Coast.
- The Saturday, Dec. 6, winning Powerball numbers were 13-14-26-28-44 and the Powerball was 7. Power Play was 2x. A ticket purchased in Florida matched 5 for $1 million. The ticket came from Circle K, 2809 Atlantic Ave., Fernandina Beach, Florida.
- For the Powerball lottery drawing on Wednesday, Dec. 3 — with winning numbers 1-14-20-46-51 and the Powerball 26, with Power Play 3x — ticket matched 5. The $1 million Powerball quick pick ticket was purchased at Town Star, 1305 W. Orange Blossom Trail, Apopka, Florida.
- And finally, a ticket from the Saturday, Nov. 29, Powerball drawing over the 2025 Thanksgiving holiday weekend matched five numbers to win $1 million. The winning numbers from that quick pick ticket were 19-22-30-32-59 and the Powerball was 1. Power Play was 2. The quick pick ticket was purchased from Thorntons, 425 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, Florida.
Tickets start at $2 a piece. Below is what to know about lottery odds, how long to claim the cash option if you bought a ticket in Florida, and what happens to unclaimed prize money, according to the Florida Lottery.
Anyone win Powerball? Winning Powerball numbers Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025? 11-18-21-24-38 and the Powerball was 26
Powerball lottery drawings are at 11 p.m. ET every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, including holidays. Wednesday, Dec. 31, winning Powerball numbers were 11-18-21-24-38 and the Powerball was 26. Power Play was 10x. We’ll see if there’s a New Year’s Eve winner after the $1.817 billion Christmas Eve win from Arkansas.
How long has Powerball rolled over?
The current Powerball streak started Saturday, Dec. 27, after someone won $1.817 billion from the Dec. 24, 2025, Christmas Eve Powerball drawing. The winning ticket was purchased from a Murphy USA gas station at a Walmart Supercenter in Cabot, Arkansas.
Below is a recap of drawings and rollovers and how much the jackpot has increased over time.
When is the next Powerball drawing? What are the chances of winning Powerball lottery?
Powerball drawings are held at 11 p.m. ET Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, including holidays. According to Powerball.com, players have a 1 in 292.2 million chance to match all six numbers whether the jackpot is $20 million or $2 billion. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
The next Powerball drawing will be Saturday, Jan. 3, or the first weekend of 2026.
What are Top 10 biggest Powerball jackpots in history?
Here are the Top 10 Powerball jackpots in the history of the game as of Dec. 31, 2025, or New Year’s Eve:
10. $758.7 million — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
9. $768.4 million — March 27, 2019; Wisconsin
8. $842.4 million — Jan. 1, 2024; Michigan
7. $1.08 billion — July 19, 2023; California
6. $1.33 billion — April 6, 2024; Oregon
5. $1.586 billion — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
4. $1.765 billion Powerball drawing — Oct. 11, 2023; California
3. $1.787 billion — Sept. 6, 2025; Missouri and Texas
2. $1.817 billion — Dec. 24, 2025, Christmas Eve holiday: Cabot, Arkansas
1. $2.04 billion — Nov. 7, 2022; California
When did lotto jackpots hit $1 billion for Mega Millions and Powerball? Biggest lottery prizes in US history
As of Dec. 31, 2025, or New Year’s Eve, there have been 14 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. These are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
- $2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
- $1.817 billion Powerball prize, Dec. 24, 2025, the Christmas Eve holiday: Murphy USA gas station in Cabot, Arkansas
- $1.8 billion Powerball prize, Sept. 6, 2025, anonymous winner in St. Louis, Missouri, and Seven Bridges Revocable Trust of Fredericksburg, Texas
- $1.73 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
- $1.586 billion Powerball prize, Jan. 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee
- $1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
- $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
- $1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
- $1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
- $1.269 billion Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, Rosemary Casarotti of California
- $1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
- $1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
- $1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
(This story was updated to include new information.)
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for the USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
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