<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's a very happy holiday for a lucky </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/lottery" rel="" target="" title="lottery "><span>lottery </span></a><span>player in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US "><span>US </span></a><span>state of Arkansas, who nabbed a $US1.8 billion ($2.7 billion) Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve (Christmas Day AEDT).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Last minute ticket sales in Wednesday's draw pushed the jackpot in America to $US1.817 billion – with a cash option of $US834.9 million ($1.2 billion) – making it the second-largest US lottery jackpot ever, Powerball said in a </span><a href="https://www.powerball.com/1.817-billion-powerball-jackpot-won-in-arkansas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title=""><span>statement</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The winning numbers were 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with red Powerball 19, and a Power Play multiplier of 2.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ghislaine-maxwell-epstein-records-puts-maxwell-under-fresh-scrutiny-amid-her-claims-of-innocence/efe8b93e-9417-4ca3-b355-2bea8b4f6ff9"><strong><span>Public release of Epstein records puts Maxwell under fresh scrutiny</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The win ended the lottery game's three-month stretch without a top-prize winner, with noone matching all six numbers for the last 46 consecutive drawings.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The last drawing with a jackpot winner was on September 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won $US1.787 billion ($2.65 billion).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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, said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/us-powerball-won-single-ticket-entry/c70f9904-7661-47b9-b108-64a0a8830aaf" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While there was only one big winner on Wednesday, eight tickets nabbed $US1 million ($1.5 million) to stuff their stockings. Those tickets were sold in California, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/north-korea-displays-apparent-progress-in-construction-of-nuclearpowered-submarine/c985132a-7b09-4d63-9ba5-e279cf478735"><strong><span>North Korea displays progress in construction of nuclear-powered submarine</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nationwide, 114 tickets won a $US50,000 ($75,000) prize and 31 tickets won $US100,000 (150,000), Powerball said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Organisers said it's the second time the Powerball jackpot has been won by a ticket sold in Arkansas. It first happened in 2010.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, Powerball said. The company added that the sweepstakes also has been won on Christmas Day four times, most recently in 2013.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And while multiple jackpots have been won either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, none of them have ever reached $US1 billion - until now.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Powerball jackpot now resets to $US20 million ($30 million) for Saturday's drawing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The lottery game has generated some of the largest jackpots in US history, including the record $US2.04 billion ($3.04 billion) in 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jackpot winners have two options to get paid: either through an annuitised prize plan, with one upfront payment and 29 yearly payments increasing by 5 per cent, or through one lump sum pay out. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The annuitised prize plan takes interest into account. Most lottery winners take the lump sum.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>