$747M Powerball jackpot up to 9th-largest as drawing nears

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A $747 million Powerball jackpot will be up for grabs for players willing to risk $2 against the long odds of winning the big prize. No one has won the jackpot since November. That has allowed the prize to grow larger with each of the game’s three weekly drawings. It stands as the ninth-largest in U.S. history ahead of Monday night’s drawing. The game’s odds of 1 in over 290 million are designed to build big prizes that draw more players. The $747 million jackpot is for the annuity option. Most winners prefer cash. For Monday night’s drawing, that would be just over $403 million.