As the holiday season approaches, the Powerball lottery is offering a massive potential gift. Following the December 22 drawing which produced no grand prize winner, the jackpot for the upcoming Christmas Eve draw has surged to an estimated $1.7 billion, with a cash option of approximately $781.3 million. This staggering sum ranks as the fourth-highest in Powerball's history.
Record Jackpot Cycle
The upcoming December 24 drawing will be the 47th in this particular jackpot run, setting a new game record for the most consecutive drawings without a top prize winner, according to lottery officials.
This marks the second occasion this year that the Powerball jackpot has surpassed the $1 billion threshold. Earlier this fall, the prize reached $1.787 billion for the September 6 drawing, which was ultimately claimed by winning tickets purchased in Missouri and Texas.
Recent Drawing Results
The winning numbers from the Monday, December 22 drawing were 3, 18, 36, 41, 54, with the Powerball number 7. The Power Play multiplier was 2X.
While no player matched all numbers for the grand prize, several significant wins occurred. Two tickets in New York matched five numbers to win $1 million each. Additional $1 million prizes were awarded to single tickets in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Furthermore, 28 tickets won $100,000 and 107 tickets secured $50,000 prizes.
Drawing Schedule and Ticket Information
The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 24 at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Drawings are held three times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at the same time.
Tickets cost $2 per play. Players select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball. Numbers can be chosen manually or via quick pick. The Power Play option, available for an additional $1, can multiply non-jackpot winnings.
Ticket purchase deadlines vary by state. In Delaware, sales close at 9:45 p.m. ET on drawing days. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the cutoff is 9:59 p.m. ET. Online ticket purchases are available in Pennsylvania at pailottery.com and in New Jersey at njlotto.com.
Winning Odds and Prize Structure
The odds of winning the Powerball grand prize are approximately 1 in 292.2 million. The overall chance of winning any prize is about 1 in 24.87. The smallest prize of $4 for matching just the Powerball has odds of 1 in 38.32.
Prize amounts are fixed cash values for most awards, except in California where payouts are pari-mutuel. The nine ways to win range from the grand prize for matching all six numbers down to $4 for matching only the Powerball.
Historic Jackpots
The current $1.7 billion jackpot would become the fourth-largest in Powerball history if won on December 24. The record remains the $2.04 billion prize won in California on November 7, 2022. The second and third largest prizes were $1.787 billion (September 6, 2025) and $1.765 billion (October 11, 2023), respectively.
2023 saw two billion-dollar jackpots won in California: $1.08 billion on July 19 and $1.76 billion on October 11.
