Powerball jackpot nears $1 billion after long drought of winners

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Another Powerball drawing, another chance at a jackpot that is inching toward a billion dollars. The estimated $925 million prize up for grabs Saturday night is the world’s ninth-largest lottery jackpot. That’s behind earlier Powerball and Mega Millions prizes that all topped a billion dollars. The prize has grown so large because there have been 30 consecutive drawings without a big winner. That streak is due to the game’s long odds. The $925 million prize is for a sole winner who chooses an annuity with annual payments over 30 years. Winners almost always take the cash option. For Saturday’s drawing, that would be over $430 million.