Two tickets hit the $1.8B Powerball; Colorado counts a new millionaire
The final Saturday of summer produced the kind of jaw-dropper that sends players back to their wallets. The Powerball results for September 6, 2025 delivered a $1.8 billion jackpot, and two tickets—one in Missouri and one in Texas—matched all six numbers to split it. The winning numbers were 11, 23, 44, 61, 62, with Powerball 17. The Power Play number was 2X.
Jackpot winners were confirmed by Powerball overnight. Retail locations and player identities were not immediately released, which is normal for a prize of this size. Expect those details to come from state lottery officials after the tickets are validated and the winners decide how they want to claim—an annuity paid over 29 years or a cash option that’s typically a bit more than half the advertised jackpot before taxes.
Colorado had plenty of skin in this drawing. One ticket sold in the state matched the first five numbers to win $1 million. That’s one of 18 Match 5 winners nationwide—joined by players in California (2), Florida, Illinois (2), Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York (2), Ohio (2), Oregon, Texas (2), and West Virginia. Two other tickets upgraded that prize to $2 million by adding Power Play.
How big was the night overall? Powerball reported more than 8 million winning tickets across all prize levels. That includes 232 wins at $50,000 (Match 4 + Powerball) and 90 wins at $100,000 for players who picked the Power Play option. Lower-tier payouts ranged from $4 to $200, depending on how many numbers matched and whether Power Play was on the ticket.
The Double Play drawing—an add-on game available in select states—pulled 21, 29, 34, 41, 65 and Powerball 17. The $10 million Double Play top prize was not hit.
What it means for Colorado players—and what comes next
Colorado’s new millionaire has time to come forward. Draw game prizes in the state can typically be claimed up to 180 days after the drawing. For wins of $600 or less, retailers can usually pay on the spot; larger prizes need to go through a claim center or by mail. Whoever holds that $1 million ticket should sign the back right away and make a copy before starting the claim process.
Power Play did a lot of quiet heavy lifting in this drawing. Because the multiplier landed on 2X, non-jackpot wins doubled: $50,000 became $100,000, and the $1 million Match 5 prize became $2 million for those who opted in. The 10X multiplier is only offered when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less, so it wasn’t in play this time.
As for the jackpot itself, the two winning tickets will split the $1.8 billion annuity if both claim and choose that option. Many jackpot winners pick the cash option, which is a lump sum paid immediately and then taxed. Federal withholding kicks in first, and state taxes depend on where the ticket was sold and where the winner lives. Texas has no state income tax. Missouri does, and state withholding typically applies there.
Where does $1.8 billion rank in the record books? Near the very top. Only a handful of Powerball jackpots have crossed the billion-dollar line. The largest was $2.04 billion won in California in November 2022. Another mega prize—$1.765 billion—also landed in California in October 2023. Saturday’s haul joins that rare tier.
Odds explain why these jackpots build so high. The chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1 in 292,201,338. Matching five numbers without the Powerball—good for $1 million—comes in at 1 in 11.7 million. Those odds don’t change based on how many tickets are sold; more sales simply mean more combinations are covered and a higher chance someone hits the top prize.
For Colorado, big drawings also mean a boost beyond the headlines. Retailers that sell jackpot-winning tickets typically receive bonuses, and lottery proceeds in the state help fund parks, trails, wildlife, and open spaces through programs such as Great Outdoors Colorado, the Conservation Trust Fund, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. In short, heavy sales days ripple into community projects months later.
Here’s the quick snapshot from Saturday’s drawing:
- Winning numbers: 11, 23, 44, 61, 62 and Powerball 17; Power Play 2X
- Jackpot: $1.8 billion, split by tickets in Missouri and Texas
- Match 5 ($1 million): 18 winners nationwide, including 1 in Colorado
- Match 5 with Power Play ($2 million): 2 winners
- Total winning tickets (all tiers): More than 8 million
- Double Play numbers: 21, 29, 34, 41, 65 and Powerball 17; top prize not hit
If you played and haven’t checked yet, use the exact draw numbers, not the quick pick line placements—people sometimes scan the wrong play. If your ticket shows the five white balls only, you’ve got a million-dollar claim. If Power Play is printed on the ticket and you matched four plus the Powerball, that’s a $100,000 win this time.
What happens to the game after a jackpot falls? The pot resets to a new starting amount based on sales and interest rates. Powerball will post the next advertised jackpot ahead of the Monday drawing, and the cycle begins again. Ticket sales stop shortly before the draw in each state—Colorado retailers have their own cutoff, and it’s worth buying early to avoid the last-minute rush.
One more note for winners at any level: keep your ticket safe, sign it, and consider privacy. In some states, winners can claim through a trust or LLC. Rules differ, and big winners often talk to a financial adviser and an attorney before stepping into the spotlight. Even $50,000 and $100,000 wins can benefit from a quick plan for taxes and debt payoff.
This drawing will be remembered for its scale and its split finish—two tickets, two states, and a life-changing payoff that ends one long jackpot run. For Colorado, there’s a fresh millionaire, a lot of smaller wins, and another reminder that even when the headlines go to the billionaires, the bulk of the action lives in those mid-tier prizes that add up across millions of tickets.
