Arkansas resident claims $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot, opts for one-time cash payout

The winner of the Christmas Eve $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot recently claimed their prize, Arkansas lottery officials said Thursday. 

The winner chose to remain anonymous, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery said in a news release. The person opted for a one-time cash payment, taking home $834.9 million dollars before tax withholdings, the lottery said. Executive director Sharon Strong said in the news release that the winner “took the time to seek legal counsel and financial advice” before claiming the prize. 

The lucky ticket was purchased at a Murphy USA gas station in Cabot, which will now be awarded a $50,000 commission, the lottery said. The winning numbers were 4, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with a Powerball number of 19. 

Powerball previously said that eight tickets won $1 million prizes, 114 tickets won $50,000 prizes and 31 tickets won $100,000. A last-minute rush of ticket purchases sent the prize surging to a higher-than-expected amount. 

The jackpot was the second-largest in Powerball history, as well as in U.S. history, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery said. It took 47 draws over more than three months for a winner to be called. Arkansas lottery officials said that the Powerball generated over $15 million in cash sales in the state during the cycle, and retailers earned over $768,000 in commissions. 

The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery said it turns some proceeds from lottery ticket sales into scholarships for Arkansas students. 

Arkansas state law allows lottery players who win over $500,000 to remain anonymous, according to CBS affiliate KTHV. 

Lottery jackpots have rapidly grown in size but become harder to win over the past 10 years, CBS News previously reported. The largest jackpot in U.S. history was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize from 2022. Thirteen of the 20 largest payouts in U.S. history have been awarded since 2023.