A single ticket sold at a Quincy gas station matched all six numbers, ending a 44-drawing jackpot run and creating the biggest Powerball win of 2026.
Illustrative gas-station scene; not the winning Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh location. Factelle illustration.
The short answer: One ticket bought at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, won the $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot in the August 12 drawing. The winner may receive the advertised prize through 30 payments over 29 years or claim the $450.5 million cash option within the required 60-day window. Both figures are before taxes.
A single Powerball ticket sold in western Illinois has won a $1.04 billion jackpot, the eighth-largest prize in the game’s history. The ticket matched white balls 4, 26, 66, 67 and 69, plus red Powerball 9, in the Wednesday, August 12, 2026 drawing. The Power Play multiplier was 2X, according to the official Powerball result.
The winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, near the Missouri border. The Illinois Lottery draw record confirms the single Illinois jackpot-winning ticket.
Powerball jackpot at a glance
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Jackpot | $1.04 billion annuity value |
| Cash option | $450.5 million before taxes |
| Winning numbers | 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and Powerball 9 |
| Power Play | 2X |
| Drawing date | Wednesday, August 12, 2026 |
| Winning ticket | One ticket sold in Illinois |
| Retailer | Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 310 N. 36th St., Quincy |
| Retailer bonus | $500,000 |
| Jackpot rank | Eighth-largest in Powerball history |
| Odds of jackpot win | 1 in 292.2 million |
Sources: Powerball, Illinois Lottery and Illinois Lottery communications. Amounts are before taxes.
What happened in the August 12 Powerball drawing?
The Illinois ticket was the only entry nationwide to match all five white balls and the red Powerball. The winning ticket came in the 44th drawing of the jackpot run, after 43 drawings without a jackpot winner. The jackpot had last been hit on May 2, when two tickets in Florida and Texas split a $20 million prize. The official Powerball announcement lists the August 12 prize as the largest Powerball jackpot won in 2026.
More than 3 million tickets won a cash prize in the same drawing. Four tickets sold in Arizona, California, Florida and North Carolina matched the five white balls. A Massachusetts ticket also matched the five white balls and added Power Play, increasing its prize to $2 million. California prizes are calculated differently based on sales and the number of winners.
Where was the winning Illinois ticket sold?
The ticket came from Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh at 310 N. 36th St. in Quincy, a Mississippi River city in western Illinois. Lottery officials said the retailer will receive a $500,000 bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
The Illinois Lottery press center described the $1.04 billion jackpot as the second-largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois.
Illustrative Powerball-themed scene; not a photograph of the winning ticket. Factelle illustration.
How much will the Powerball winner actually receive?
The headline figure and the cash option describe two different payment paths. Neither is the winner’s final take-home amount because both are quoted before federal and state taxes.
| Option | How it works | Published value |
|---|---|---|
| Annuity | One immediate payment, followed by 29 annual payments that rise by 5% each year | $1.04 billion over 29 years |
| Cash | One lump-sum payment based on the present cash value of the jackpot | $450.5 million before taxes |
The annuity is paid in 30 graduated payments across 29 years. The cash option pays a smaller amount now because it represents the money available to fund the prize today, not the total value of future payments.
To receive the lump-sum cash option, the winner must claim the prize within 60 days of the drawing. A prize claimed after that window can be paid only as an annuity. Tax withholding does not necessarily equal the winner’s final tax bill. The Illinois Department of Revenue lottery withholding guidance explains when Illinois tax must be withheld. A winner facing a prize of this size should seek personal legal, tax and financial advice before making a decision.
Has the $1.04 billion winner come forward?
As of 9:50 a.m. CT on August 14, the Illinois Lottery had not publicly identified the winner. That does not establish whether the ticket holder is aware of the win or has begun private preparations to claim the prize.
For prizes of $250,000 or more, the winner may submit a written request to keep their name and city of residence confidential from public release, subject to applicable law. The prize must be claimed within one year of the drawing date, according to Illinois Lottery winner guidance.
What should the ticket holder do now?
Illinois Lottery guidance emphasizes protecting the physical ticket and following the claim process carefully. Practical first steps include:
- Sign the back of the ticket so ownership is easier to establish.
- Store the ticket in a secure place and keep clear records of where it is held.
- If considering the lump-sum option, complete the prize claim within 60 days of the drawing; the overall prize-claim deadline is one year.
- Speak with an experienced attorney, tax professional and independent financial adviser before making commitments.
- Limit public discussion while privacy and claim options are being reviewed.
These are general steps based on lottery guidance and are not personal legal, tax or financial advice.
Why did the jackpot grow beyond $1 billion?
A Powerball jackpot rolls forward when no ticket matches all six numbers. The August 12 win came in the 44th drawing of this jackpot run, after 43 drawings without a jackpot winner, allowing the advertised annuity value to reach $1.04 billion.
As jackpots rise, ticket sales may increase, but the odds for any individual play do not improve. The jackpot odds remain about 1 in 292.2 million per play.
Responsible-play perspective: A lottery ticket is a form of entertainment, not an investment. Set a spending limit and do not spend more than you can afford to lose.
Where does the Illinois win rank in Powerball history?
The $1.04 billion prize ranks eighth among Powerball jackpots. It is below the $1.08 billion California jackpot from July 2023 and above the $842.4 million Michigan prize from January 2024.
| Rank | Jackpot | Drawing date | Winning state(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.04 billion | Nov. 7, 2022 | California |
| 2 | $1.817 billion | Dec. 24, 2025 | Arkansas |
| 3 | $1.787 billion | Sept. 6, 2025 | Missouri, Texas |
| 4 | $1.765 billion | Oct. 11, 2023 | California |
| 5 | $1.586 billion | Jan. 13, 2016 | California, Florida, Tennessee |
| 6 | $1.326 billion | April 6, 2024 | Oregon |
| 7 | $1.08 billion | July 19, 2023 | California |
| 8 | $1.04 billion | Aug. 12, 2026 | Illinois |
Source: Powerball jackpot history published August 13, 2026.
The win also brought money to Illinois schools
Illinois Lottery players bought more than $53.8 million in Powerball tickets during the jackpot run that began May 4. Lottery officials said those sales generated more than $21.5 million for the state’s Common School Fund, which supports K-12 public education.
Those public-funding figures do not change the odds of winning and should not be used as a reason to spend beyond a set entertainment budget.
Responsible play
Must be 18 or older to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or text GAMBLER to 833234.
Updated: September 11, 2026
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