Claiming lottery in Delaware
18 states have laws that allow national lottery prize jackpot winners to remain anonymous, but is Delaware among them?
- The Powerball jackpot has grown to $1.25 billion for the upcoming Wednesday drawing.
- A winner’s take-home amount is significantly reduced by federal and state taxes.
- The odds of winning the grand prize are approximately 1 in 292.2 million.
- Some states, including Delaware, allow lottery winners to claim their prizes anonymously.
Hoping to become the country’s next billionaire by winning the upcoming Powerball drawing?
You might be disappointed to find out how much you’ll actually get after you’re done with your accountant.
With the Powerball for Wednesday, Dec. 17 sitting at $1.25 billion with a cash value of $572.1 million after no grand prize winner from the Monday, Dec. 15 drawing, the lottery is now the sixth-largest jackpot in the game’s history.
It’s the second time the Powerball jackpot has reached above $1 billion this year.
The last time the jackpot approached these levels happened this fall, when it hit $1.787 billion for the Sept. 6 drawing. That grand prize — the second largest in the game’s history — was won by a winning ticket purchased in Missouri and another in Texas.
Despite those tantalizing figures, you won’t necessarily become a billionaire overnight if you hit the Powerball jackpot.
Wondering how much you would take home if you were the lucky winner of the $1.25 billion Powerball jackpot? Here’s a breakdown of much you’ll walk away with after taxes.
Powerball winning numbers 12/15/25
The winning numbers from the Monday, Dec. 15 drawing were 23-35-59-63-68, and the Powerball was 2. The Power Play was 4X.
Did anyone win Powerball drawing on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025?
No, but there was a Match 5 winner worth $1 million in Arizona and California.
When is the next Powerball drawing?
The next drawing will be Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 10:59 p.m. ET.
In Delaware, tickets may be purchased until 9:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing.
In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, you can purchase tickets until 9:59 p.m.
What are the odds of winning the Powerball?
The odds of winning the Powerball grand prize are 1 in 292,201,338. The odds for the lowest prize, $4 for one red Powerball, are 1 in 38.32.
According to Powerball, the overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.87, based on a $2 play and rounded to two decimal places.
- $2.04 billion – Nov. 7, 2022 – CA
- $1.787 billion – Sept. 6, 2025 – MO, TX
- $1.765 billion – Oct. 11, 2023 – CA
- $1.586 billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
- $1.326 billion – April 6, 2024 – OR
- $1.25 billion – Dec. 17, 2025 – TBD
- $1.08 billion – July 19, 2023 – CA
- $842 million – Jan. 1, 2024 – MI
- $768.4 million – March 27, 2019 – WI
- $758.7 million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA
How much do I win after taxes if I hit the $1.25 billion Powerball jackpot?
Wondering how much you’ll get after taxes if you win the Powerball? Here’s a breakdown:
If your ticket matches all five white balls and the red Powerball you can choose between a payout over 30 annualized payments or a one-time lump sum cash payout of roughly $572.1 million, according to a report by Forbes.
The more popular option is the lump sump payment, which would reduce the total to $434.7 million after a mandatory 24 percent federal tax withholding.
The winnings would be cut to $360.4 million due to a federal marginal rate of 37% for the highest earners, depending on the winner’s taxable income and other tax deductions, Forbes reported.
If you choose the annualized payments, installments would average $26.2 million at a 37% federal rate.
Forbes reported that some states require additional taxes on lottery prizes, with rates as high as 10.9 percent in New York ($62.3 million) to as low as 2.5 percent ($14.3 million) in Arizona.
However, states like California and Florida don’t tax winnings.
How much in taxes do I have to pay if I win Powerball in Delaware?
For any prize of more than $5,000, the Delaware Lottery withholds 24 percent of your winnings for federal taxes.
All winning Delaware Lottery tickets are subject to Delaware income tax, which would be 6 percent for any earnings more than $60,000.
If you win in Delaware but aren’t a First State resident, your state may tax your winnings.
How can I claim my prize?
First things first, sign the back of your ticket using an ink pen to identify yourself as the ticket owner. According to the Delaware lottery, once signed, ticket ownership cannot be changed or transferred.
For prizes $599 or less, tickets can be redeemed at Delaware lottery retailers or the Delaware Lottery Office. You can also mail your tickets to the Delaware Lottery Office: 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904.
Prizes worth $2,500 or less can be claimed at select Delaware Lottery retailer claim centers throughout Kent, Sussex and New Castle counties.
Any prize between $600 and $5,000 can be claimed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at these redemption centers:
- Delaware Lottery: 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover
- Division of Revenue: 20653 DuPont Blvd., Suite 2, Georgetown
- Division of Revenue: Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French St., Wilmington
A prize worth $5,001 or more can be claimed at the Delaware Lottery Office on business days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You must bring a photo ID that includes your name and address, as well as a Social Security card.
All winning Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto America tickets must be redeemed in the state and jurisdiction where they were sold.
Where can you remain anonymous?
There are 19 states that have laws that allow national lottery prize jackpot winners to remain anonymous.
In those states, it’s possible the public will never know the identity of the person who eventually wins the massive Powerball jackpot.
So where can you remain an unknown winner? Find out where:
Can I claim a jackpot prize anonymously in Delaware?
Fortunately for First State residents, the Delaware Lottery allows winners remain anonymous. Unlike many other states that require a prize be over a certain jackpot, Delawareans can remain anonymous no matter how much, or how little, they win.
Can you remain anonymous in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Maryland?
Just as in Delaware, winners in Maryland and New Jersey can keep their identities hidden if they win any prize. So, it’s safe to buy tickets there if you want to stay under the radar.
However, that option isn’t available in Pennsylvania. Winners cannot remain anonymous; however, “only certain claimant information can be released,” according to the Pennsylvania Lottery.
“This assures the public that lottery winners are real people and that the lottery operates with integrity and transparency,” according to the lottery website.
Which states can you remain anonymous if you win the lottery?
Here’s where you can remain anonymous if you win the lottery:
Total anonymity
- Delaware
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Jersey
- North Dakota
- South Carolina
- Wyoming
Conditional or temporary anonymity
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Using a trust or LLC in other states
What happens if a winner dies before collecting their winnings?
The Delaware Lottery requires all jackpot prize winners to assign a beneficiary.
In the event of a winner’s death, the lottery will continue to pay the annual payments as scheduled, to the winner’s designated beneficiary or estate, lottery officials said.
Don’t worry, the lottery doesn’t keep the money nor will the state take it.
The IRS has special rules concerning estate taxes and expected future payments, officials said.
Last but not least, lottery officials recommend that all jackpot winners consult a tax expert for advice.
