The Powerball jackpot has officially crossed the billion-dollar threshold once again, surging to an eye-popping $1.25 billion for the upcoming drawing on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. This massive prize—the second-largest Powerball jackpot of the year—comes on the heels of a Monday night drawing that saw no grand prize winner but minted thousands of new winners across the nation, including three lucky players in Ohio who are each waking up $50,000 richer.
As the holiday season reaches a fever pitch, the “Powerball fever” is following suit. With an estimated cash value of $572.1 million, the current jackpot is a life-altering sum that has millions of Americans searching for the best places to buy lottery tickets and the latest winning Powerball numbers.
Monday Night Drawing Results: The Numbers You Need to Know
The winning numbers for the Monday, December 15, 2025, drawing were:
- White Balls: 23, 35, 59, 63, 68
- Red Powerball: 2
- Power Play Multiplier: 4x
While the elusive $1.1 billion grand prize remained untouched, the secondary tiers produced significant windfalls. Two tickets—one sold in Arizona and one in California—matched all five white balls to win $1 million each. Additionally, 14 tickets won $200,000 by matching four white balls and the Powerball with the Power Play option.
In the Buckeye State, the Ohio Lottery confirmed that three tickets matched four white balls and the Powerball, securing the $50,000 third-tier prize. While the specific retail locations in Ohio have yet to be disclosed by lottery officials, players in Northeast Ohio and Central Ohio are being urged to double-check their tickets immediately.
The $1.25 Billion Surge: Why This Jackpot is Historic
Lottery officials noted that this marks only the second time in Powerball history that the game has generated back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots. The only other time this occurred was in 2023.
“Powerball has only seen back-to-back 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.
The current run has reached its 44th drawing without a jackpot winner, setting a new game record for the longest jackpot cycle. The last time the jackpot was hit was on September 6, 2025, when two tickets in Missouri and Texas split a staggering $1.787 billion prize.
| Top 5 Powerball Jackpots of All Time | Amount | Date | State(s) |
| 1. World Record | $2.04 Billion | Nov. 7, 2022 | CA |
| 2. Recent Giant | $1.787 Billion | Sept. 6, 2025 | MO, TX |
| 3. California Luck | $1.765 Billion | Oct. 11, 2023 | CA |
| 4. Multi-State Win | $1.586 Billion | Jan. 13, 2016 | CA, FL, TN |
| 5. Current Jackpot | $1.25 Billion (Est.) | Dec. 17, 2025 | TBD |
How to Play Powerball and Improve Your Odds
To join the hunt for the $1.25 billion prize, players must purchase a $2 ticket before the draw cutoff time (usually 10:00 PM ET on drawing nights).
- Choose Your Numbers: Pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26.
- Quick Pick: Most winners use the “Quick Pick” option, where the terminal randomly selects numbers for you.
- Power Play: For an extra $1, you can add the Power Play feature, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times.
