Powerball jackpot jumps to about $1.5 billion, the seventh largest in history

Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times on Dec 18, 2025

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The Powerball jackpot has soared to an estimated $1.5 billion for Saturday night's drawing, the fifth largest in game history and the seventh highest among all lottery jackpots in the United States.

The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $686.5 million, according to a Powerball news release.

No ticket matched all six numbers drawn Wednesday: white balls 25, 33, 53, 62, 66 and red Powerball 17, according to the release. The Power Play multiplier was 4.

Six tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes, according to the release. The winning tickets were sold in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Two tickets that were sold in Arizona and Massachusetts matched all five white balls, according to the release, and these players had added the Power Play option for $1 more so the $1 million prize rose to $2 million per ticket.

The drawing resulted in 72 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 14 tickets that won $200,000 prizes.

The Powerball jackpot was last won in September by two tickets in Missouri and Texas that split a $1.787 billion prize.

Saturday's drawing marks the second time in Powerball history that the game has resulted in consecutive jackpots exceeding $1 billion. The only other time was in 2023, when a $1.08 billion jackpot was won on July 19, followed by a $1.765 billion jackpot on Oct. 11. Both jackpots were won in California.

If someone wins Saturday's jackpot, they can choose between an annuitized prize around $1.5 billion or a lump sum payment around $686.5 million, according to the release. If the person picks the annuity option, they will get one payment, followed by 29 annual payments that go up by 5% every year.

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