Powerball numbers for Monday, Dec. 22, revealed

American lottery players were hoping Monday for the biggest Christmas gift imaginable — materially speaking at least.

The Powerball game hasn’t been won for a record 46 consecutive drawings and the jackpot of $1.6 billion is the fifth largest in U.S. lottery history.

The winning numbers were 3,18,36,41,54 with the Powerball being 7.

Powerball expanded to three nights a week in 2021, adding a Monday drawing to its Wednesday and Saturday games. Powerball said that the extra drawing would lead to “larger, faster-growing jackpots.”

Powerball was last won on Sept. 6, when two players split a $1.787 billion jackpot — the second-biggest jackpot in U.S. history.

If taken in a single lump sum of cash, as most recent big lottery winners have chosen to do, Monday’s $1.6 billion prize would be worth $735.3 million. The larger, advertised amount is what the other option — a 29-year annuity — would be worth over its lifetime.

Federal taxes would quickly take almost 40% of that amount, with state taxes a possibility on top of that.

The $2 Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The five states on the outside are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.