Powerball climbs to estimated US$1.25 billion after there were no big winners in Monday’s drawing

A customer fills out a Powerball lottery ticket at a convenience store in Mundelein, Ill., Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) (Nam Y. Huh)

The Powerball jackpot rose to an estimated US$1.25 billion after there were no big winners in Monday night’s drawing.

Monday night’s winning numbers were 23, 35, 59, 63, 68, and the red Powerball was a 2. There was also a Power Play multiplier of 4.

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While no one secured the grand prize, two tickets sold in Arizona and California matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes. The drawing also produced 43 tickets that won $50,000 prizes and 14 tickets that won $200,000 prizes, Powerball said.

This is the second jackpot to hit at least $1 billion this year and the 12th to cross the $1 billion threshold in the past five years.

The largest jackpot this year was in September, and was valued at $1.787 billion before taxes. That went to two winners from Missouri and Texas who split the prize. They took the lump sum, $410 million before taxes, and other lottery winners have done the same.

“Powerball has only seen back-to-back to billion-dollar jackpots twice, and this one has arrived just in time for the holidays,” said Matt Strawn, Iowa Lottery CEO and Powerball Product Group Chair. “While it’s exciting to see the jackpot climb to this level, please remember to play responsibly. A single $2 ticket gives you a chance to win, while also supporting good causes in your community.”

Whether winners actually take an advertised jackpot value depends on how they choose to be paid. The estimated $1.1 billion offered in Monday’s drawing would have come only if a winner opted for 30 escalating installments – which lotteries offer through an annuity accounting for interest – over 29 years.

Otherwise, a winner could choose a lump sum representing what’s in the actual jackpot pool on the day of the drawing, which in Wednesday’s drawing is an estimated $572.1 million.

The next drawing is set for Wednesday at 10:59 p.m. ET. The odds of winning Powerball’s jackpot are 1 in 290.2 million.

By Toni Odejimi, Karina Tsui, CNN