Illinois Ticket Wins $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot

A single Powerball ticket sold in Quincy, Illinois, has won a $1.04 billion jackpot, ending a three-month drought without a grand prize winner and marking the game's largest payout of 2026 so far. The winning ticket was purchased at a HyVee gas station in the western Illinois city, according to lottery officials. The holder matched all six numbers in the drawing held on Wednesday, August 12: 4, 26, 66, 67, and 69, with a red Powerball of 9.

The jackpot is the eighth-largest in Powerball history and the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois. It represents the first billion-dollar Powerball jackpot since a player in Arkansas claimed $1.8 billion on Christmas Eve last year. The win also breaks a streak of 44 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, a run that began after a $20 million prize was split by two players in Florida and Texas on May 2.

The winner, whose identity has not been disclosed, faces a significant financial decision. They can choose to receive the full $1.04 billion as an annuity paid in 30 graduated installments over 29 years, or take an immediate lump-sum cash option estimated at $450.5 million before taxes. Lottery officials noted that most...