US lottery player wins $1.8b Powerball on Christmas Eve

Summary

• An Arkansas player won the US$1.817 billion Powerball jackpot, the second-largest US lottery prize ever and largest this year.
• The Christmas Eve drawing offers the winner 30 annual payments or a single US$834.9 million cash payout before tax.
• The odds of winning were 1 in 292.2 million; the largest lottery prize was US$2.04 billion in California in 2022.

WASHINGTON - A lucky lottery player in the US state of Arkansas has won the US$1.8 billion (S$2.3 billion) Powerball prize, the second-largest US lottery jackpot ever won, the gambling game’s organiser said on Dec 24.

“With final ticket sales, the Powerball jackpot reached US$1.817 billion, making it the second-largest US lottery jackpot ever won and the largest Powerball prize this year,” Powerball said in a statement.

The drawing was held on Christmas Eve.

The winner can claim the full amount in 30 annual payments or opt for a one-off cash payout of US$834.9 million before tax.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.

The largest lottery bonanza in history was US$2.04 billion, awarded in 2022 to a person who bought their ticket in California. AFP