Single Ticket Sold at Illinois Gas Station Wins $1.04 Billion Powerball Jackpot
A single ticket purchased at a gas station in western Illinois matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing to win a $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot — the largest Powerball prize won so far in 2026 and the eighth-largest in the game’s more than three-decade history.
Where the Ticket Was Sold
The winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, located at 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, Illinois, a Mississippi River town roughly 100 miles west of the state capital in Springfield, near the Missouri border, according to the Illinois Lottery’s official announcement. The store’s owners will receive a $500,000 cash bonus for selling the winning ticket, according to the Lottery.
The winning numbers in the August 12 drawing were 4, 26, 66, 67, and 69, with a Powerball number of 9 and a Power Play multiplier of 2, according to UPI.
How Big This Win Actually Is
At $1.04 billion, Wednesday’s jackpot ranks as the eighth-largest in Powerball history, according to ABC News. It’s also the largest Powerball jackpot won anywhere in the country so far in 2026, and the first billion-dollar Powerball prize since a player in Arkansas won $1.8 billion on Christmas Eve last year, according to WRAL/Associated Press.
The winner has two payout options: an annuitized prize paid out in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a one-time lump-sum cash payment estimated at $450.5 million, according to the Illinois Lottery. Both figures are before taxes. As of the most recent reporting, it wasn’t immediately clear whether the winner had come forward to claim the prize, according to US News. Illinois allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, and officials are encouraging the ticket holder to sign the back of the ticket immediately and store it securely — the winner has one year from the drawing date to come forward and claim the prize.
How the Jackpot Got This Large
Wednesday’s drawing capped a jackpot run that had been building for more than three months without a winner. According to NBC News, the last time someone won the Powerball jackpot before this was May 2, 2026, when two tickets sold in Texas and Florida split a $20 million prize. Every drawing since then without a winner caused the jackpot to roll over and grow, with ABC News noting Wednesday’s drawing was the 44th consecutive drawing since that last jackpot win.
Powerball also drew on an expanded international player base for this particular jackpot run. According to UPI, players in Britain took part in Powerball for the first time after tickets went on sale there July 21, 2026 — an expansion the game’s organizers said they expect to help fuel even larger jackpots going forward. In the U.S., Powerball is played across 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to NBC News.
Other Winners From the Same Drawing
While one ticket claimed the full jackpot, several other players won substantial prizes in the same drawing. According to CBS12, a ticket sold in Massachusetts matched all five white balls and, combined with the Power Play option, turned what would have been a standard $1 million prize into $2 million. Four additional tickets — sold in Arizona, California, Florida, and North Carolina — each matched all five white balls to win $1 million apiece. Beyond those top prizes, Powerball reported 70 tickets winning $50,000 each, with 16 of those Power Play tickets doubling to $100,000, and millions of additional tickets winning smaller amounts.
Where This Ranks Among the Largest Jackpots Ever
Wednesday’s win, while historic in its own right, still falls well short of the record. The largest Powerball jackpot ever won remains the $2.04 billion prize claimed by a winner in California in 2022, according to WRAL/AP. Last year’s $1.8 billion Arkansas win ranks second, meaning this week’s $1.04 billion prize sits notably behind both, even as it stands as this year’s largest payout so far.
What Happens Now
With the jackpot claimed, the Powerball prize resets to its default starting point of $20 million for the next drawing, scheduled for Saturday, according to US News. Stephen Durrell, chair of the Powerball Product Group and executive director of the Kansas Lottery, offered congratulations to the winner, according to UPI: “For more than three decades, Powerball has shown that a winning ticket can be sold anywhere the game is played, giving every $2 ticket the chance to change not only a winner’s life, but generations to come.”
FAQ
How much was the Powerball jackpot? $1.04 billion, won in the August 12, 2026 drawing.
Where was the winning ticket sold? At a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh gas station in Quincy, Illinois.
What were the winning numbers? 4, 26, 66, 67, 69, with a Powerball number of 9.
Has the winner come forward? As of the most recent reporting, it wasn’t confirmed whether the winner had come forward publicly. They have one year from the drawing date to claim the prize, and Illinois allows winners to remain anonymous.
What are the winner’s payout options? An annuity of $1.04 billion paid over 29 years in 30 graduated payments, or a lump-sum cash payment of approximately $450.5 million, both before taxes.
How does this compare to the largest Powerball jackpot ever won? It’s smaller. The record remains a $2.04 billion jackpot won in California in 2022, with a $1.8 billion Arkansas win from Christmas Eve last year ranking second.
Conclusion
Wednesday’s drawing brings a dramatic end to a jackpot run that had captivated players for more than three months, delivering the largest Powerball prize of 2026 to a single ticket holder in a small Mississippi River town. With the jackpot now reset to $20 million and a newly expanded international player base in the UK potentially fueling even bigger prizes down the road, this win adds another entry to the growing list of billion-dollar Powerball jackpots the game has produced in recent years.
Sources: Illinois Lottery, UPI, ABC News, NBC News, US News & World Report, WRAL/Associated Press, CBS12 (reporting dated August 13, 2026).