Christmas Eve brings big Powerball wins as four Virginians claim $1.2 million in prizes

Yes, Virginia did have winners on Christmas Eve. While the huge Powerball jackpot was won in another state, four people in Virginia still walked away with a combined $1.2 million in prizes. For them, the holiday came with a very unexpected gift.

Four Virginia players get lucky on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve turned into a celebration for four Powerball players in Virginia. One person won $1 million after buying a ticket online through the Virginia Lottery mobile app.

Another player won $100,000 with a ticket sold in Spotsylvania County. On top of that, two more tickets worth $50,000 each were sold in the Hampton Roads area.

All these wins came from the same Powerball drawing, making it a very lucky night for the state.

How the winning tickets matched

The $1 million ticket matched all five white ball numbers, missing only the red Powerball. That is still one of the biggest prizes you can win without hitting the jackpot.

The $100,000 ticket from Spotsylvania was one of 31 tickets across the country to win that amount.

The two $50,000 tickets from Hampton Roads were part of a group of 114 tickets nationwide that earned $50,000 each.

Lottery officials are reminding all winners to check their tickets carefully and sign the back before claiming any prize.

The massive jackpot was won elsewhere

While Virginia had multiple winners, the biggest prize of the night went to another state.

The Powerball jackpot was hit at a massive $1.817 billion, with the winning ticket sold in Arkansas.

This win made history. It was the second-largest Powerball jackpot ever and came after 47 drawings, which is the most in one jackpot cycle. Many players across the country had been waiting weeks for this moment.

What happens to Powerball now

Now that the jackpot has been won, Powerball resets. The next drawing will start with a jackpot of $20 million.

Even though that is much smaller than $1.8 billion, it is still a life-changing amount for most people.

With the Power Play option, the top prize in the next draw could still grow quickly if no one wins right away.

What are the odds of winning?

Powerball says the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9, which means many people do win smaller amounts.

However, the odds of winning the jackpot are much tougher at 1 in 292.2 million.

Christmas Eve proved that you do not have to win the jackpot to have a great night. For four Virginians, a simple ticket turned into a holiday they will never forget.