USA21 December, 20251 min read
Powerball Jackpot Hits $1.6 Billion After No Winning Ticket
Saturday drawing produced no jackpot winner, raising the Powerball prize to an estimated $1.6 billion An estimated lump-sum cash option equals about $735.3 million before taxes
19 outlets told this the same way.
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Powerball jackpot update
Powerball's jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.6 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday's drawing.
“No ticket matched all six numbers in the Powerball draw on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, so the jackpot rolled to an estimated $1.6 billion for the next drawing on Monday, Dec. 22. The numbers drawn were 4, 5, 28, 52, 69 (Powerball 20) with a 3x Power Play.”
The result rolled the prize to the Monday, Dec. 22 drawing, with the next drawing listed at 10:59 p.m. ET.
The drawn numbers were 4, 5, 28, 52 and 69 with Powerball 20 and a 3X Power Play.
Multiple outlets report the annuitized jackpot at about $1.6 billion and note the long rollover that produced this headline-grabbing prize.
Lottery payout estimates and taxes
The advertised annuity and lump-sum options are reported consistently as the two payout choices. Outlets give slightly different cash estimates and tax examples. Most mainstream wires and alternative outlets list the annuitized prize at about $1.6 billion and the lump-sum around $735.3 million before taxes.
Budget- or betting-focused outlets sometimes state a different immediate-cash figure. Tax-withholding and likely federal rates are often shown to demonstrate how much winners actually take home.
Jackpot rollover coverage discrepancies
Coverage differs on how long the jackpot had been rolling; some outlets describe a 45-draw streak and place this run in the context of the Sept. 6, 2025 $1.787 billion split.
“The jackpot has gone unclaimed since Sept. 6, 2025—when two tickets split $1.787 billion—creating a 45-draw streak without a top prize, one of the longest in Powerball history.”
Other outlets say the Dec. 22 drawing marked the 46th consecutive rollover and call it a new game record.
Those numerical and framing differences change whether the story reads as one of the longest streaks or as a record-breaking 46-draw run.
Coverage of lottery winners
Many outlets noted several $1 million match-5 winners across multiple states and the local impacts of the run. Eight tickets nationwide matched the five white balls for $1 million prizes. Some local pieces used the story to make appeals or to emphasize revenue for public programs.
Coverage also varies by outlet type: wire services focus on facts and national context. Local outlets name retail locations, while fundraising-focused publishers mention donation drives.
