$251 Million Powerball Jackpot Won in Arkansas

A Close-Up of the Winning Numbers

The winning numbers on the night were 2-17-18-38-62, with a Powerball number of 20 and 2X as the Power Play multiplier. Only one ticket matched all the winning numbers, purchased at a yet-undisclosed store in Arkansas. It's also been a good night for Puerto Rico, where a runner-up $2 million prize was won by a ticket that managed to match all five main numbers without the Powerball number.

The jackpot that's just been won is valued at $250.8 million, with a cash value of $118 million. This is Arkansas' third Powerball win since tickets went on sale in the Natural State back in 2009, and it's the second Powerball jackpot win in just over 2 months! The previous winner landed a whopping $1.816 billion on Christmas Eve - that's almost 1% of Arkansas' GDP (the total economic output of the entire state)!

 

The Lucky Winner's To-Do List

Once the winner has taken time to let things sink in, they'll need to visit the Arkansas Lottery Claims Center in Little Rock to register their winning ticket and begin the claims process. This must be done within 180 days of the draw, or else the ticket will expire. It's also recommended for big winners to consult a financial advisor to work out a plan for the money in advance.

In Arkansas, lottery winnings over $5,000 are taxed at 3.9%, that's as well as the 24% federal tax. If the winner takes the cash option, that means they'll be taking home approximately $70 million, or $150 million (over time) for the annuity option.

Arkansas Lottery winners, as of 2021, can opt to remain anonymous - an option most big winners take nowadays. Even though it's unlikely we'll get a name, it's still possible (perhaps even probable) that the Lottery will issue an anonymous statement and/or the address of the store where the ticket was purchased. We shall see!

 

Business as Usual for Powerball

The Powerball jackpot has been reset to its starting value of $20 million, which doesn't look like much compared to some of the other Powerball jackpots we see, but it sure does look like a lot compared to our bank accounts. It's also worth remembering that, until the jackpot hits $150 million, the elusive 10X Power Play multiplier will be available, turning those small wins into medium wins and medium wins into massive wins!

If you're looking to get involved, head to our Tickets Page, as in many states (and even other countries too!) it's now possible to participate in Powerball over the internet.