A Single Ticket Bags the Hefty $1.8 Billion Powerball Jackpot in Arkansas

A Christmas Miracle in Arkansas

The festive spirit was in full swing on Christmas morning as one fortunate lottery player based in Arkansas found themselves the winner of an astonishingly large Powerball jackpot. The prize? A heart-stopping $1.8168 billion, enough to make this single ticket holder the winner of the second-largest lottery jackpot ever recorded across the globe.

After a suspenseful series of 47 consecutive drawings spanning over three months, this Powerball jackpot run finally came to an end on Christmas Eve, delivering a life-changing gift to one lucky individual. The $1.8 billion jackpot was indeed a record breaker, surpassing two previous records within just a few months.

Breaking Records and Making History

Never before has there been such a long string of consecutive Powerball drawings without any winners - 47 rollovers to be exact. This newly-won $1.8 billion prize also claimed the title of the second-biggest lottery jackpot worldwide, relegating September's winnings to third place. The first place still remains firmly with California resident Edwin Castro who bagged a colossal $2 billion Powerball jackpot prize.

This mammoth win is only the second for Arkansas in Powerball history, with the previous win dating back to 2010. The golden ticket was purchased from Murphy USA gas station located at 208 S Rockwood Drive in Cabot, a city housing approximately 27,000 residents and situated northeast of Little Rock.

The Winning Ticket Holder Yet to Come Forward

Arkansas Lottery officials eagerly await to hear from the winner. Sharon Strong, the Executive Director of Arkansas Lottery, advised the fortunate individual to seek counsel from financial advisors and attorneys prior to claiming their winning ticket. She underscored the significant contribution this win will bring to the state in terms of tax revenue, emphasizing that this is a proud moment for Arkansas.

The recipient of this grand prize will be subjected to both federal and state taxes, with the latter standing at 3.9% on lottery winnings. If they choose to opt for the cash option over annuity, they will walk away with approximately $493.47 million. Furthermore, Arkansas allows substantial lottery winners to remain anonymous, given they have won $500,000 or more, but this privilege only lasts for three years.

Other Significant Winners

Apart from the jackpot winner, there were also hundreds of other significant winners in the drawing. Eight fortunate players matched the first five numbers and won a $1,000,000 prize each. They hailed from various states including California, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Additionally, a total of 145 tickets managed to match four out of the first five numbers along with the Powerball number which secured them a $50,000 prize each. Among these tickets 31 were purchased with the Power Play option which effectively doubled their prize to $100,000.

The Powerball Drawing Results

The winning numbers drawn on Wednesday for Powerball were 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59 with Powerball number being 19 and Power Play number being 2. The numbers from Wednesday’s Double Play drawing were 3, 15, 19, 29 and 35 with Powerball number being 21.

Top 25 United States Lottery Jackpots Ever

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot claimed the second position in the list of the largest lottery jackpots worldwide, surpassing the previous second place held by September's jackpot. The list includes:

• Powerball: $2.0401 billion, awarded to a resident of California
• Powerball: $1.8168 billion, awarded to a resident of Arkansas
• Powerball: $1.7874 billion, awarded to residents of Missouri and Texas
• Powerball: $1.7649 billion, awarded to a resident of California
• Mega Millions: $1.602 billion, awarded to a resident of Florida
• Powerball: $1.5864 billion, awarded on January 13, 2016

This record-breaking win is indeed a celebratory event for Arkansas and the nation at large.