Lottery ticket sold at Illinois gas station wins $1bn Powerball jackpot

A Powerball ticket sold at a gas station in western Illinois was the sole winner of the $1bn jackpot, ending a three-month drought without a top-prize victor.The ticket that won the jackpot on Wednesday night was purchased at a Hy-Vee station in Quincy, about 100 miles (160km) west of the state capital of Springfield along the Missouri border, Illinois-lottery" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="184704" data-entity-type="organization">Illinois Lottery officials said. The winning numbers were 4-26-66-67-69 with the Powerball number of 9.It was not immediately clear if the winner has come forward yet.The prize comes in the form of either an annuity of $1bn paid over 29 years or a lump-sum payment of $450.5m. Winners almost always take the lump sum.The $1.04bn grand prize was the eighth largest in Powerball history, game organizers said. Another lottery game, Mega Millions has also had a $1bn jackpot winner.The record lottery jackpot still stands at just over $2bn, won with a Powerball ticket purchased in California in 2022.