Arkansas wins second-largest lottery prize ever: $1.817 billion

Overview

Someone in Cabot, Arkansas bought a Powerball ticket at a Murphy USA gas station on Christmas Eve and won $1.817 billion—the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The win ended a record 47 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, a streak that began in September when two tickets split $1.787 billion.

Lottery officials designed this outcome in 2015 by making jackpots nearly twice as hard to win, changing odds from 1-in-175-million to 1-in-292-million. The strategy worked: longer losing streaks create bigger prizes, bigger prizes generate more media coverage, and more coverage drives ticket sales. The winner can stay anonymous under Arkansas law but faces a crucial choice: take $834.9 million now or $1.817 billion spread over 30 years.

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Key Indicators

Consecutive drawings without winner

Record for longest Powerball jackpot run

$834.9M

Lump sum cash option

What winner gets after choosing immediate payment

1 in 292.2M

Odds of winning jackpot

Deliberately worsened from 1-in-175M in 2015

$1M

Murphy USA bonus

Retailer commission for selling winning ticket

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Organizations Involved

Multi-State Lottery Association

Lottery Operator

Operates Powerball across 45 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands

The consortium that runs Powerball and engineered the 2015 odds change that created the billion-dollar jackpot era.

Murphy USA

Retail Gas Station Chain

Sold winning ticket at Cabot, Arkansas location

Gas station chain that earned $1 million for selling the winning ticket; location was closed Christmas Day.

Arkansas Scholarship Lottery

State Lottery Agency

Processing second-ever Powerball jackpot claim in state history

State agency that began selling Powerball tickets in October 2009; Arkansas had its first jackpot winner within three months.

Timeline

October 2015 December 2025

8 events Latest: December 25th, 2025 · 8 months ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

December 2025
Winner Identity Unknown; Murphy USA Earns $1M
Latest Aftermath

Murphy USA gas station closed for Christmas; no owner comment. Winner can stay anonymous under Arkansas law but must claim within months.
December 25th, 2025
Arkansas Ticket Wins $1.817 Billion on Christmas Eve
Jackpot Win

Single ticket from Murphy USA in Cabot matches 4-25-31-52-59 and Powerball 19, ending record 47-drawing run. Winner gets $834.9M lump sum or $1.817B annuity.
December 24th, 2025 • 22:59 EST
Jackpot Hits $1.6 Billion, Fourth-Largest Ever
Milestone

After 46 drawings without winner, jackpot climbs into historic territory ahead of Christmas Eve drawing.
December 21st, 2025
September 2025
New Jackpot Run Begins at $20 Million
Jackpot Reset

After September 6 double-win, Powerball resets and begins another cycle. No one knows it will break the previous record.
September 7th, 2025
Two Tickets Split $1.787 Billion After Record 42-Drawing Run
Jackpot Win

Missouri and Texas tickets split second-largest prize ever after longest jackpot run to date. New cycle begins immediately.
September 6th, 2025
November 2022
Record $2.04 Billion Jackpot Won in California
Jackpot Win

Edwin Castro claims largest lottery prize in history, takes $997.6 million lump sum. Later buys $25.5M mansion and fights lawsuit claiming ticket was stolen.
November 7th, 2022
January 2016
First Billion-Dollar Jackpot
Jackpot Win

Three tickets split $1.5 billion prize after 20 rollovers—double the previous record and proof the odds change worked.
January 16th, 2016
October 2015
Powerball Makes Jackpots Harder to Win
Rule Change

Lottery officials change format, worsening jackpot odds from 1-in-175-million to 1-in-292-million to create bigger prizes through longer losing streaks.
October 4th, 2015

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2015

2015 Powerball Odds Change Launches Billion-Dollar Era

The Multi-State Lottery Association deliberately worsened Powerball jackpot odds from 1-in-175-million to 1-in-292-million by expanding the white ball pool. The stated goal was to create longer losing streaks that would produce bigger jackpots. Critics called it cynical; lottery officials called it strategic. Three months later, the format produced a $1.5 billion jackpot—double any previous prize.

Then

First billion-dollar jackpot split three ways in January 2016, validating the strategy and generating unprecedented media coverage.

Now

Jackpots routinely exceed $1 billion; five of the top seven largest prizes occurred after 2021. Ticket sales surge with each mega-jackpot despite worsening odds.

Why this matters now

The Arkansas win is a direct product of this 2015 design change—47 drawings without a winner would have been nearly impossible under the old format.

December 2002 - 2020

Jack Whittaker's $314M Curse (2002)

Jack Whittaker, already a millionaire, won what was then the largest single-ticket jackpot: $314 million. He took the $113 million lump sum. Within years, his life unraveled: his wife left him, his house burned down, his granddaughter died of a drug overdose, his daughter died, he was sued repeatedly, and he was robbed of $545,000 cash he carried in a briefcase. He told ABC News he wished he'd torn up the ticket.

Then

Whittaker donated millions to churches and charities but became a target for lawsuits, criminals, and family dysfunction.

Now

Died in 2020, widely considered the cautionary tale of the 'lottery curse'—proving even wealthy people can be destroyed by sudden windfalls.

Why this matters now

The Arkansas winner faces the same psychological and social pressures that ruined Whittaker: sudden wealth attracts predators, ruins relationships, and exposes character flaws. The difference is whether they plan ahead.

November 2022 - Present

Edwin Castro's $2.04B Win and Real Estate Spree (2022)

Edwin Castro won the largest lottery prize in history—$2.04 billion—and took the $997.6 million lump sum. Unlike most winners, he went public, bought a $25.5 million Hollywood Hills mansion, a $4 million Altadena house, and a $3.85 million Malibu beach home. He survived a lawsuit from a man claiming the ticket was stolen (judge dismissed it) and recently bought 15 fire-damaged lots in his hometown to help families rebuild.

Then

Castro spent tens of millions on real estate within months, becoming tabloid fodder but avoiding bankruptcy or major scandal.

Now

Still wealthy three years later; lost Malibu home to wildfires but remains engaged in community rebuilding, suggesting he has stable advisors and hasn't squandered the fortune.

Why this matters now

Castro shows it's possible to survive mega-wealth if you have a plan—or at least don't make catastrophically bad decisions. The Arkansas winner could follow his path or Whittaker's; the next six months will decide.