Illinois Sells Winning Ticket for Estimated $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot
A Powerball ticket sold in Illinois won an estimated $1.04 billion jackpot in Wednesday night's drawing.
Houston, TX, August 12, 2026 —
A single Powerball ticket purchased in Illinois has claimed the estimated $1.04 billion jackpot from Wednesday night’s drawing.
The winning ticket matched all six numbers in the multi-state lottery drawing. The exact jackpot amount is an estimate and will be finalized based on ticket sales. This prize ranks as one of the largest Powerball jackpots in the game’s history.
Details regarding the specific location where the winning ticket was sold within Illinois have not yet been released. Lottery officials are expected to provide further information as it becomes available.
The identity of the winner or winners also remains unknown. Winners of large lottery jackpots often have the option to remain anonymous, depending on state laws and personal preference. The process for claiming such a significant prize typically involves verification by the lottery organization and may take some time.
Wednesday night’s drawing followed a series of drawings in which no ticket had matched all the necessary numbers to win the grand prize, leading to the substantial accumulation of the jackpot. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292.2 million.
Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game’s rules and prize structures are standardized across these jurisdictions, though state-specific tax implications can affect the final payout to the winner.
Story summarized from the original created by ABCNews on abc7.com, see more information here.
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