Lottery excitement is building during the holiday season as the Powerball jackpot reaches an impressive $1.5 billion for the drawing scheduled on Saturday, December 20. This substantial prize ranks as the fifth-largest in Powerball's history and represents one of only fourteen occasions where a lottery jackpot has hit or exceeded the billion-dollar mark.
Recent Drawing Results and Florida's Winning Streak
Following the Wednesday, December 17 drawing where no ticket matched all six numbers—25, 33, 53, 62, 66, and Powerball 17 with Power Play 4x—the grand prize rolled over to its current record amount. If a winner emerges and chooses the cash option, they would receive a one-time payment of approximately $686.5 million.
While the jackpot wasn't claimed on December 17, eight tickets secured significant secondary prizes. Two tickets from Arizona and Massachusetts matched five numbers plus the Power Play, earning $2 million each. Additionally, three winning tickets from New York and one each from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee matched five numbers.
Florida has been particularly fortunate in recent weeks, with players winning $1 million prizes in five separate drawings within a single month:
On Saturday, December 13, a Florida ticket was among five nationwide to match five numbers for $1 million.
The Monday, December 8 drawing produced a $1 million winner from Stuart, Florida.
Saturday, December 6 saw another Florida ticket match five numbers for $1 million.
Wednesday, December 3 resulted in a Florida player winning $1 million.
Finally, a ticket from the Saturday, November 29 drawing over the Thanksgiving weekend matched five numbers for $1 million.
Historical Context and Current Jackpot Progress
The current jackpot run began on September 8, resetting to $20 million after the historic $1.787 billion Powerball drawing on September 6 was won by tickets from Texas and Missouri. Since then, the prize has rolled over more than forty times, steadily climbing to its current level.
This holiday season has also seen significant activity in Mega Millions, with a Georgia ticket winning $980 million on November 14. That prize nearly became the fourteenth billion-dollar lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
Lottery Details and Regulations
Powerball drawings occur at 11 p.m. Eastern Time every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. According to official statistics, players face odds of 1 in 292.2 million of matching all six numbers, regardless of the jackpot size.
For Florida Lottery winners, prizes must generally be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. Those opting for the cash lump sum must make their claim within the first 60 days. Florida law requires disclosure of winners' names, though those claiming prizes of $250,000 or more receive a 90-day temporary exemption from public disclosure.
The next drawing after December 20 will be on Monday, December 22, just before Christmas celebrations begin.
