A $2 Powerball ticket made someone a billionaire in Illinois
Powerball jackpots have climbed into the billion-dollar range only a handful of times in U.S. lottery history. On July 30, 2022, one ticket sold in Illinois matched all six numbers to win an estimated $1.337 billion prize, according to Powerball and the Illinois Lottery. Lottery officials said the ticket was the first Powerball jackpot winner ever sold in Illinois.
One ticket matched every number
Powerball confirmed the winning numbers for the July 30, 2022 drawing were 13, 36, 45, 57, 67, and Powerball 14. The game said one ticket sold in Illinois matched all six numbers for the estimated $1.337 billion jackpot. The cash value at the time was estimated at $780.5 million, according to Powerball.
Illinois Lottery officials said the winning ticket was purchased at a Speedway gas station and convenience store in Des Plaines. The store is located at 885 E. Touhy Ave., and officials said the retailer would receive a $500,000 bonus for selling the ticket. The winner bought a single $2 play, based on details released by lottery officials.
The jackpot ranked as the third-largest in U.S. lottery history at the time, according to Powerball. The drawing came after 39 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner, which pushed the top prize above the $1 billion mark. Powerball said the odds of matching all five white balls and the red Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.
What is confirmed in Illinois
The confirmed Illinois location was Des Plaines, a suburb northwest of Chicago, where the winning ticket was sold on July 29 ahead of the next day’s drawing, according to the Illinois Lottery. Officials publicly identified the Speedway retailer, but they did not immediately release any information about the person holding the ticket. As of the initial announcement, the winner had not come forward publicly.
What was known right away was the scale of the win in Illinois. Lottery officials said it was the state’s first Powerball jackpot winner, a notable milestone for a game played across 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The ticket instantly put one Illinois player in line for either a 30-year annuity or the lump-sum cash option.
What was not known in the first official updates was whether the winner lived in Des Plaines, elsewhere in Illinois, or out of state. Illinois Lottery officials also had not released personal details about the ticket holder. Under Illinois law, certain big-prize winners can keep their identities private, which can limit what the public learns after a drawing.
Why the jackpot got so large and what it means now
The size of the jackpot was tied directly to the long stretch without a grand-prize winner. Powerball said the game had gone 39 drawings in a row without anyone matching all six numbers before the July 30 result. Each rollover increased the advertised prize, eventually lifting it to $1.337 billion.
Game design also helps explain why billion-dollar jackpots are rare but possible. Powerball’s published odds of 1 in 292.2 million make jackpot hits uncommon, which allows prizes to grow over many drawing cycles. That math, confirmed in Powerball’s own game rules, is why a $2 ticket can produce a prize measured in billions.
For Illinois residents, the immediate effect was straightforward. One ticket sold in Des Plaines was worth either the annuity jackpot or the estimated $780.5 million cash option, and the Speedway that sold it was due a $500,000 bonus. Lottery officials said the winning ticket holder should sign the back of the ticket and keep it secure while claim procedures move forward.
