One Illinois player just won the $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot, the 8th largest ever
A single Illinois Lottery player won the $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot for the August 12, 2026 drawing, matching all six numbers: 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Powerball 9. It is the largest Powerball prize won in 2026, the eighth largest in the game's history, and the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois.
The ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh at 310 N. 36th Street in Quincy, Illinois, a Mississippi River town on the western edge of Illinois and near the Missouri border. The store earns a $500,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Illinois does not require winners of $250,000 or more to come forward publicly, so the new multi millionaire may remain anonymous.
"This is an exciting day for Illinois," said Harold Mays, director of the Illinois Lottery, who noted that every Powerball ticket sold during the run also fed the state's Common School Fund. Since the jackpot began rolling on May 4, Illinois players bought more than $53.8 million in Powerball tickets, generating over $21.5 million for K-12 public education in the state.
What the winner actually keeps
Not $1.04 billion. That figure is the 30-year annuity before taxes, and almost every winner takes the cash option instead, which here is $450.5 million, about 43% of the headline. Federal tax then claims 37% at the top bracket, and Illinois state tax adds an additional 4.95%, which leaves the winner taking the cash option with roughly $261.5 million. Our lottery tax calculator runs the exact figure if you're curious on how much taxes will be collected for various jackpots.
When this run reached $975 million we placed it eighth all-time, and even after climbing to $1.04 billion it stayed there, below the $1.08 billion won in July 2023 and above the $842.4 million from New Year's Day 2024. The all-time record is still the $2.04 billion won in California in 2022.
It is also another huge night for Illinois, a state that has quietly become a jackpot magnet: its players have hit two enormous Mega Millions jackpots online in the past two years, including a $552 million prize. The only lottery prize ever won in the state larger than last night's is the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot taken in Des Plaines in 2022, itself the third-largest in US history at the time. Whoever holds this ticket should do one thing before anything else, which is stay quiet and call a lawyer. They have one year to claim the prize, however, if the winner wants the lump sum (cash option) they must claim the prize in Illinois within 60 days.
Sources
Illinois Lottery: Illinois Lottery player wins $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot?
A single Illinois Lottery player, who matched all six numbers in the August 12, 2026 drawing. The winning ticket was sold at a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Quincy, Illinois. Illinois does not require winners of $250,000 or more to go public, so the winner may stay anonymous.
How much will the Illinois Powerball winner actually take home?
If they take the cash option of $450.5 million, federal tax removes 37% and Illinois takes 4.95%, leaving roughly $261.5 million. The advertised $1.04 billion is the 30-year annuity, which almost no winner chooses.
Where does this rank among Powerball jackpots?
Eighth all-time. It trails the $1.08 billion won in July 2023 and tops the $842.4 million from New Year's Day 2024. The record remains the $2.04 billion won in California in November 2022.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
