The massive Powerball jackpot continues its historic climb, rolling over yet again after the drawing on **Wednesday, December 3, 2025**. With no winning ticket sold to match all six numbers, the grand prize has officially cracked the top 10 largest Powerball jackpots in history, now soaring past the three-quarter billion mark.
The jackpot for Wednesday’s draw was an estimated **$775 million**, with a one-time lump sum cash option of **$362.5 million**. This marks the 38th consecutive drawing without a jackpot winner, driving the prize pool into record territory for the upcoming weekend.
💰 Official Powerball Winning Numbers
Players should check their tickets carefully against the official winning numbers from the Wednesday, December 3 drawing:
| White Balls (1–69) | Powerball (1–26) | Power Play Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 14, 20, 46, 51 | 26 | 3x |
🚨 Jackpot Update: Secondary Winners Announced
While the grand prize rolled over, the drawing did produce several significant secondary prize winners who benefited from the **3x Power Play** multiplier:
- **Match 5 Winners ($1 Million):** At least two tickets matched all five white balls to win the base prize of **$1 million**. These tickets were sold in California and Florida.
- **Match 5 + Power Play Winners ($2 Million):** At least one lucky ticket matched all five white balls and had the Power Play feature active, winning the fixed top secondary prize of **$2 million**. This ticket was sold in Kentucky.
📅 Next Powerball Drawing: $820 Million
The jackpot has officially rolled over for the next drawing, setting up one of the largest Saturday lottery events of the year.
- **Next Drawing:** **Saturday, December 6, 2025**
- **New Estimated Jackpot:** **$820 Million**
- **New Cash Value:** **$383.5 Million** (Estimated)
- **Draw Time:** 10:59 p.m. ET (Eastern Time)
- **Drawings Schedule:** Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Power Play: Multiplying Your Winnings by 3x
For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature was activated with a **3x multiplier** for Wednesday’s draw. This means that any non-jackpot prize, excluding the Match 5 prize which is capped at $2 million, was tripled.
| Match | Base Prize | Prize with 3x Power Play |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 White Balls | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 (Fixed Max) |
| Match 4 White Balls + Powerball | $50,000 | $150,000 |
| Match 4 White Balls | $100 | $300 |
| Match 3 White Balls + Powerball | $100 | $300 |
| Match 3 White Balls | $7 | $21 |
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot remain a challenge at 1 in 292.2 million, but the potential for these massive secondary wins is why millions continue to play.
🏦 The Powerball Payout Decision: Cash vs. Annuity
A winner of the staggering **$820 million** jackpot will face an immediate, life-altering decision: whether to take the prize as an annuity or a lump-sum cash payment.
1. The Cash Option ($383.5 Million)
- **Structure:** The winner receives a one-time, lump-sum payment of the estimated cash value before federal and state taxes are deducted.
- **Benefit:** Provides immediate liquidity, allowing the winner to invest the entire amount immediately.
2. The Annuity Option ($820 Million)
- **Structure:** The winner receives the full advertised jackpot amount, paid out over 30 years in graduated installments.
- **Benefit:** Payments increase by 5% each year, helping protect the winner’s purchasing power against inflation.
Expert advice strongly recommends consulting with financial and tax professionals immediately upon discovering a winning ticket.
Powerball Game Mechanics and Odds
Playing Powerball is simple, but the mechanics are designed to produce these massive, infrequent jackpots.
- **Cost:** A single Powerball ticket costs **$2**.
- **How to Play:** Players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 (white balls) and one number from 1 to 26 (the red Powerball).
- **Sales Deadline:** The cutoff time for purchasing tickets varies by jurisdiction. In Michigan, tickets must be purchased by 9:45 p.m. on the night of the draw.
- **Jackpot Odds:** The overall odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in $292.2$ million.
The Double Play Feature
For players seeking another chance to win, the optional **Double Play** drawing is available for an additional $1 per play in select states.
- **Second Drawing:** Double Play uses the same numbers chosen on the Powerball ticket in a separate drawing held immediately after the main Powerball draw.
- **Prize:** This secondary drawing offers a top prize of up to **$10,000,000**.
A Look at Powerball History
The current $820 million jackpot now sits comfortably among the largest prizes ever offered by the U.S. lottery, surpassing the $775 million prize from the drawing before the rollover.
The largest winning Powerball jackpot ticket sold in Michigan, worth **$842.4 million**, was won on January 1, 2024, at Food Castle in Grand Blanc, underscoring the history of big wins in the state.
