Illinois Player Wins $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot
The Powerball drawing on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, produced one of the largest prizes of the year. A single ticket purchased in Illinois claimed a jackpot of $1.040 billion — the eighth-largest in Powerball history and the biggest win so far in 2026.
The winning ticket was sold at the Hy-Vee gas station located at 310 N. 36th Street in Quincy, in western Illinois. The numbers drawn were white balls 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, with Powerball 9. The Power Play multiplier was 2.
The winner, whose identity has not yet been publicly announced, can choose between an annuitized prize of $1.040 billion paid in 30 graduated installments over 29 years, or a lump-sum cash option of approximately $450.5 million (both amounts before taxes). The vast majority of jackpot winners select the cash option.
This win ended a streak of 44 consecutive drawings without a top-prize winner, the previous jackpot having been claimed on May 2, 2026. It also marked the first Powerball jackpot won since ticket sales launched in the United Kingdom in July 2026. The odds of matching all six numbers remain extremely long: about 1 in 292 million.
This historic prize serves as a powerful reminder of both the life-changing dreams the lottery inspires and the extremely low probabilities involved. As the Quincy winner prepares to make a major financial decision, the Powerball jackpot resets to $20 million for the next drawing. The hope of another life-altering win continues with every ticket sold