They’re dreaming of a green Christmas.
The Powerball jackpot has surged to a sky-high $1.5 billion — the fifth-largest in the game’s history — ahead of the holidays after no ticket matched all six winning numbers drawn on Wednesday night.
New Yorkers flocked to stores Thursday, hoping to win big — with some saying they’d rather buy their own ticket than find one under the tree.
A person buys tickets for the $1.25 billion jackpot in the Powerball lottery drawing in New York City on December 17, 2025 REUTERS
“I don’t want anyone to gift it to me because then if I win that ticket, they’re gonna claim it,” said Edisson Damian, 40, who tried his luck at a BP gas station in Astoria, Queens. “Then we’re gonna end up going to court, and I don’t want any of that to happen.”
Others tapped into the Christmas spirit, saying they’d give a large chunk away if they won.
“I would share it with people who have nothing. People who don’t have a place to live or anything, I’d share it with all of them,” said Gelda of Cambria Heights.
Saturday’s drawing will be the 45th of the current jackpot run, breaking a game record for the most drawings in a single cycle, according to Powerball officials.
The Powerball jackpot has surged to a monstrous $1.5 billion after nobody matched all six numbers on Wednesday night. REUTERS
“This jackpot is set to deliver the ultimate windfall,” Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn said.
“The jackpot grows with every $2 ticket sold, and a portion of each ticket supports local public programs and services. We encourage everyone to have fun and play responsibly.”
On Wednesday, the winning numbers for the estimated $1.27 billion jackpot were 25, 33, 53, 62, and 66, with red Powerball 17.
The jackpot carries an estimated total of $1.5 billion — a cash value of $686.5 million — for the upcoming drawing.
Six ticket holders struck the $1 million Match 5 prize for correctly picking the five white balls, including three people in New York.
The million-dollar tickets were sold at a trio of convenience stores in Elmont, Newburgh, and Astoria, Queens.
The remaining tickets were sold in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
Two additional tickets sold in Arizona and Massachusetts matched all five white balls, and the Power Play multiplier doubled their prizes from $1 million to $2 million each.
Powerball officials said, “This jackpot is set to deliver the ultimate windfall.” AP
The Powerball jackpot was last won on Sept. 6, when two winners in Missouri and Texas split a staggering $1.787 billion prize — only the second time the game has produced back-to-back jackpots exceeding $1 billion.
The only other occurrence came in 2023, when California saw back-to-back jackpots of $1.08 billion in July and $1.765 billion in October.
Players hoping for a massive payday before Christmas face steep odds of just 1 in 292.2 million.
However, the odds of winning any prize are much higher, at about 1 in 24.9.
If won, Saturday’s drawing would mark the fifth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
The record $2.04 billion jackpot was claimed by California resident Edwin Castro in November 2022.