Illinois ticket wins $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot

### Illinois Powerball Ticket Wins $1.04 Billion Jackpot

A single Powerball ticket sold in Illinois has won an estimated $1.04 billion jackpot, ending a 44-drawing streak without a grand-prize winner. The massive prize is the largest U.S. lottery jackpot recorded so far in 2026. The winning ticket was purchased at a Hy-Vee gas station in Quincy, Illinois, near the Missouri border. The winning numbers from Wednesday night’s drawing were 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, with 9 selected as the Powerball number. The winner had not been identified or come forward as of Thursday, leaving the identity of the new billionaire unknown. Illinois Lottery officials confirmed that the ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee location in Quincy, approximately 100 miles west of Springfield. The jackpot ranks as the eighth-largest prize in Powerball history. The winner now faces a choice between receiving the estimated $1.04 billion annuity or taking a $450.5 million lump-sum cash option. Both figures are before taxes. Under the annuity option, the jackpot would be distributed through 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The cash option would provide the winner with a significantly smaller amount immediately. The jackpot had been growing since May 2, when Powerball last produced a grand-prize winner. Wednesday’s drawing marked the 44th consecutive drawing without a jackpot winner before the Illinois ticket matched all six numbers. The winning ticket cost the standard $2 Powerball ticket price. However, the odds of matching all five white balls and the Powerball remain extremely low at approximately 1 in 292.2 million. Wednesday’s drawing also produced several other significant winners across the country. Five tickets matched all five white numbers but missed the Powerball, earning $1 million prizes. Those tickets were sold in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina. A Massachusetts ticket that included the Power Play option won $2 million. Overall, more than 3 million tickets won prizes in the drawing, according to Powerball. With the billion-dollar jackpot now claimed, the next Powerball jackpot will reset to an estimated $20 million. The Illinois win comes as Powerball continues to expand its reach beyond the traditional U.S. market. The lottery recently expanded ticket sales internationally, with players in the United Kingdom becoming eligible to participate in July. The broader player base could potentially contribute to larger jackpots in future drawings. Despite the latest billion-dollar prize, Powerball’s all-time record remains far higher. The largest Powerball jackpot in history was a $2.04 billion prize won by a ticket purchased in California in 2022. For the Illinois winner, the next major decision will be how and when to claim the prize. Choosing between the long-term annuity and immediate cash payment could have significant financial and tax implications. The winner’s identity will also depend on Illinois’ rules regarding the disclosure of lottery winners. Until the ticket is officially claimed, the identity of the person holding the winning ticket remains unknown. The record-setting Illinois victory brings an end to one of Powerball’s longest jackpot droughts in recent years and gives one lucky player the opportunity to claim one of the biggest lottery prizes ever offered in the United States.