Delaware Player Hits $231 Million Powerball Jackpot
The progressive prize hasn’t built much momentum since a $1.8 billion Christmas Eve win
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On Monday night, for the third time in the first three months and change of 2026, a Powerball player matched all six numbers and won the jackpot. And for the third time this year, that jackpot value rose above the $200 million mark but didn’t make it to $300 million.
Specifically, Monday’s jackpot was estimated to be worth $231 million — or $104.9 million as a one-time cash payment instead of an annuity, if that’s how the lucky winner prefers it.
This follows a $250.8 million win in Arkansas on March 2 (they took the cash prize of $118 million) and a $209.3 million jackpot in North Carolina on Jan. 21 (they also chose the cash payout of $95.3 million).
It all qualifies as never-work-another-day-in-your-life money, to be sure, but these prizes don’t quite measure up to the final Powerball jackpot awarded in 2025, $1.817 billion on Christmas Eve in Arkansas.
The winning ticket Monday night was purchased in Delaware, showing numbers 7, 24, 37, 42, and 57, with a red Powerball of 5.
There was also a $2 million winner in Texas, matching all five white balls but not the Powerball, with the $1 million prize doubled thanks to the Power Play multiplier.
Lottery Geeks estimates some 10.3 million tickets were sold for Monday’s drawing.
The top prize now resets to $20 million (cash value: $9.1 million) for Wednesday’s game.
Relatively hefty Mega Millions
Just like that, Mega Millions now boasts the top lottery jackpot in the land, as Tuesday night’s drawing is for an estimated $100 million (cash option: $44.7 million).
Last Friday, the winning numbers were 31, 45, 62, 63, and 68, with gold Mega Ball 15, and the largest prize awarded was $100,000. This marked the fourth rollover since a St. Patrick’s Day win in Ohio.
By Lottery Geeks’ calculations, an estimated 4.1 million tickets were sold for Friday’s drawing.
Tickets for Mega Millions cost $5 and Powerball tickets cost $2. Most states offer the multiplier option for Powerball, which impacts any prize won except the jackpot, for an additional $1. Mega Millions comes with an automatic multiplier for any prize except the jackpot.
Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.
All-time biggest jackpots
Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:
- $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
- $1.82 billion, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
- $1.79 billion, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
- $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
- $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
- $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
- $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
- $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
- $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
- $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
Here is the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:
- $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
- $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
- $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
- $834.9 million, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
- $820.6 million, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
- $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
- $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
- $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
- $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
- $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine