BALTIMORE — What would you do with one billion dollars? It’s a question many are pondering as the Powerball has reached the billion dollar mark.
"So excited for the billion dollars absolutely, hopefully this is the one,” said Aaron Stephen, a hopeful PowerBall player.
People in Baltimore are trying their luck for the Monday night Powerball drawing.
This Powerball Jackpot is the second largest in the history of the game and the 5th largest in U.S. lottery history.
The constant flow of hopeful players showed at Putty Hill Liquors in Baltimore County where some players tell their future plans if they win.
"So our neighborhood has about nine families and we're all putting in 20 bucks and if we win we have all promised, as rich as we may get, and as many directions as we may go, we're all going to buy a house in one town and promise to at least come together for one week a year," said one person.
"I’d be so blessed. I’d bless all my family and friends and I would donate to mental health," said one person.
"Have a party, everybody then would get a million, give some to charity and maybe keep 50 million that's more than enough to live," said one person.
Ham's Liquor in Baltimore City also saw an increase in customers buying their ticket of hope.
"I had a couple people coming in with $100, $200, yeah they are really going for it this time. I mean I’m putting my little four dollars in too,” said a worker at Ham’s Liquor.
Some residents in the city say they would share their riches.
"I’m going to give a lot of people money, you know, give back, go back home to Africa, go and come back. Get that money and give everybody some," said one person.
While others haven't given it much thought.
“I don't even know, I’d probably go out of state, help my father out, do a lot," said one person.
The winner of the Powerball will have two options of receiving the money, either by lump sum cash or annual payments.
The cash option will cut the winnings down to about $500 million.
If no one wins the drawing Monday night, there will be another one Wednesday and the amount will go up to $1.2 billion.
