The Powerball jackpot $1.7 billion estimate has put the prize among the biggest in the game’s history heading into the Christmas Eve drawing on Wednesday. The jackpot climbed after no ticket matched all six numbers in Monday night’s drawing, continuing a months-long streak without a grand-prize winner.
Powerball officials emphasize that jackpot figures are estimates that can change based on ticket sales leading up to the draw. The winning jackpot amount is finalized after sales are counted for the drawing.
Monday’s winning numbers
The numbers from Monday’s drawing were 3, 18, 36, 41, and 54. The Powerball was 7, and the Power Play multiplier was 2x.
Even when the jackpot isn’t hit, Powerball regularly produces smaller prize winners nationwide, including million-dollar tickets that match five white balls.
Lump sum vs. annuity: how payouts work
A jackpot winner can choose between a one-time cash payment or an annuity option paid out over time. The annuity is structured as one initial payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.
For this drawing, the estimated cash option is about $781.3 million, while the advertised jackpot reflects the annuity value. Both options are before any applicable taxes and other withholdings.
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Odds and ticket basics
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. Those long odds are a key reason the biggest prizes can grow so large, particularly when repeated drawings pass without a winner.
Powerball tickets cost $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.
The last jackpot win and why this run is notable
The game’s jackpot was last won on Sept. 6, when two tickets in Missouri and Texas split the $1.787 billion prize, which remains Powerball’s second-largest jackpot on record. Since then, the prize has climbed through successive rollovers to reach the current Christmas Eve estimate.
Large jackpot runs can draw increased attention and ticket sales, but the underlying math for any single ticket does not change. Lottery officials and analysts routinely warn players that the most likely outcome is not winning, even during headline-grabbing jackpot cycles.
Where this jackpot ranks among Powerball’s biggest prizes
If someone wins on Christmas Eve at the current estimate, it would rank as the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot in the game’s history. Here’s how it stacks up against other top prizes (annuity values):
| Rank | Jackpot | Draw date | Winning location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.04 billion | Nov. 7, 2022 | California |
| 2 | $1.787 billion | Sept. 6, 2025 | Missouri, Texas |
| 3 | $1.765 billion | Oct. 11, 2023 | California |
| 4 | $1.7 billion (estimated) | Dec. 24, 2025 | Pending |
| 5 | $1.586 billion | Jan. 13, 2016 | California, Florida, Tennessee |
| 6 | $1.326 billion | April 6, 2024 | Oregon |
| 7 | $1.08 billion | July 19, 2023 | California |
| 8 | $842.4 million | Jan. 1, 2024 | Michigan |
| 9 | $768.4 million | March 27, 2019 | Wisconsin |
| 10 | $758.7 million | Aug. 23, 2017 | Massachusetts |
What to watch for Wednesday night
With a holiday-week draw and one of the game’s largest prizes, officials expect high interest heading into Wednesday’s drawing. Results are typically posted shortly after the draw concludes, and players are urged to check tickets carefully for non-jackpot prizes as well.
Sources:
Reuters – “US Powerball jackpot could be someone’s billion-dollar Christmas present”
