Powerball Jackpot Climbs To $1.25 Billion For Wednesday Night, Dec. 17, 2025, Drawing

CHICAGO — The Powerball® jackpot for tonight’s drawing has climbed to $1.25 billion, offering Illinois Lottery players another exciting opportunity to dream big this holiday season.

Wednesday’s drawing marks the second-largest Powerball jackpot of the year, trailing only the record-setting $1.787 billion prize won on September 6 in Missouri and Texas. It is just the second time in Powerball history that back-to-back jackpots have reached the billion-dollar mark.

Holiday cheer has already arrived for one Illinois Lottery player, who won $200,000 in Monday night’s Powerball drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at the Hy-Vee grocery store located at 2115 S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield. The player matched four numbers and the Powerball, along with the game’s Power Play® feature.

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The current Powerball jackpot run began on September 7, 2025. Since then, more than one million winning tickets have been sold across Illinois, awarding players nearly $13.3 million in total prizes.

Each Powerball ticket sold is also a win for the retailers, as they receive commission on every ticket sold – and a selling bonus of 1% of the prize amount on any winning tickets.

Powerball Tickets can be purchased in-store or online via the Illinois Lottery website and mobile app. Tickets are $2 each, and players can add the Power Play for an additional $1 for the chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes.

The Illinois Lottery reminds all players that lottery games are not for kids — never give a lottery ticket to a minor. For more information on how to play lottery games responsibly, please visit the Responsible Gaming page on the Illinois Lottery website.

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