An Illinois lottery player hit Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot of $1.04 billion, the second-largest lottery prize won in Illinois. The winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee Gas in Quincy, Illinois.
The jackpot winner matched all six winning numbers — 4, 26, 66, 67, 69, and Powerball 9 — to secure the grand prize in the drawing. In addition to the win for the player, the retailer will receive a $500,000 cash bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
The jackpot is the largest Powerball prize won in 2026 and the eighth-largest jackpot in the game’s history.
“This is an exciting day for Illinois,” said Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays in a statement. “We’re thrilled for the winner and the retailer that sold the winning ticket. Beyond celebrating this incredible win, every Powerball ticket purchased during this jackpot run also helped generate funding for Illinois public schools, demonstrating how the Lottery continues to benefit communities across the state.”
Since this jackpot run began on May 4, Illinois lottery players purchased more than $53.8 million in Powerball tickets, generating more than $21.5 million for the Common School Fund, which supports K–12 public education in Illinois.
The jackpot is so far unclaimed. The winner has one year from the date of the drawing to claim the prize.
Illinois Lottery officials encourage the ticket holder to sign the back of the winning ticket immediately and keep it in a secure location until ready to claim.
