Powerball jackpot skyrockets above $1B after prize goes unclaimed
Monday's drawing offers estimated cash value of $572 million
California convenience store owner presented with $1M check after selling willing Powerball ticket.
The owner of Las Palmitas Mini Market, Navor Herrera, received a $1M check during a press conference with Powerball officials on Thursday morning. (FOX 11)
The Powerball jackpot has surged to an eye-popping $1.25 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday and Monday night’s drawing, leaving the massive prize up for grabs.
The winning numbers for the Dec. 15 drawing were 23, 35,59,63,68 and the Powerball number was 2, but no one claimed the top prize.
While the jackpot went unclaimed, several players still scored big, including $1 million winners in California and Arizona.
The estimated cash value for Monday’s next drawing now stands at more than $572.1 million.
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A Powerball lottery ticket sits beside a monitor in Foster City, California, on Aug. 28, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Despite the soaring jackpot, the odds remain steep. The chance of hitting the grand prize stands at 1 in 292.2 million, while the odds of winning a prize are 1 in 29.2 million, according to Powerball.
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Robert Hadad sells Powerball lottery tickets at Downtown Miami Souvenirs on Aug. 26, 2025. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
"Powerball has only seen back-to-back to billion-dollar jackpots twice, and this one has arrived just in time for the holidays," Iowa Lottery CEO and Powerball Product Group Chair said Matt Strawn said in a press release.
A woman holds Powerball lottery tickets inside a store in Homestead, Florida, on July 19, 2023. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via / Getty Images)
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Powerball said on its website that jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment.
If the prize continues to climb, it could soon rank among one of the biggest jackpots in Powerball history. The current record for largest jackpots was a $2.04 billion win in 2022, followed by a $1.79 billion jackpot claimed in Missouri and Texas in September.