Throughout Arkansas, rumors about the lucky winner of the $1.817 billion Christmas Eve Powerball prize are rife.
Nearly a month has passed since a ticket that was sold at the Murphy USA petrol station in Cabot, which is located close to the Walmart Supercenter, matched the red Powerball 19 and the Dec. 24 Powerball numbers of 4, 25, 31, 52, and 59. The winner of the life-altering fortune can choose to get $834.9 million in cash all at once or the entire amount spread out over 29 years. Both are before to state and federal taxes.
Before coming forward, major lottery winners usually seek legal and/or financial advice. However, as time passes, speculations about what's happening become more prevalent.
"If I go into a local grocery store, if I go anywhere in town, someone asks me about it,” Arkansas House Speaker Brian Evans (R-Cabot) told the Arkansas Advocate. “Typically, it’s, ‘Hey Brian, were you the winner?'”
He claims that Evans is not the victor. Evans would not be eligible for the state's three-year anonymity privilege because he is an elected official.
Lotery rumors
A Powerball ticket purchased in Arkansas may be redeemed 180 days following the draw. This implies that the Powerball ticket for Christmas Eve needs to be used by June 22, 2026.
Given Cabot's convenient location and the fact that the ticket was bought at a petrol station near Interstate 57, which almost stretches the entire length of the state from Missouri to Texas, anyone may win. It can be a local from Arkansas or a tourist who chose to take advantage of a Powerball bet.
Across the street, neighbors are wondering if they are the ones who would end up extremely wealthy. At the water cooler, coworkers are asking if their colleague is prepared to resign and pay in their Powerball ticket.
However, there is growing conjecture that the winning paper ticket may be misplaced or inadvertently thrown away every day. Since the Arkansas Lottery's Claim Centers are closed on weekends and on Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the ticket won't be redeemed until at least Tuesday, January 20.
Along with selecting between a lump payment or an annuity, the winner must also determine if they want to stay anonymous for three years. Arkansas mandates that lottery winners become part of the public record after three years.
After the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won in November 2022, the $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot is the second-largest lottery payout in US history.
Is It Your Turn Tonight?
If someone's life was truly changed by the Christmas Eve Powerball lottery, only time will tell. Even though the jackpot is much smaller tonight, there is still another chance.
Powerball's jackpot for tonight's draw is expected to be $179 million, an increase from the Christmas Eve hit. The option for a lump sum payment is $81.5 million.
At $250 million ($113.5 million in cash), Mega Millions presently offers a bigger jackpot. The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20.