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Woman credits fortune cookie for $50,000 Powerball win, Maryland Lottery says

The retired medical worker said she’s not sure how she’ll spend the money.
The retired medical worker said she’s not sure how she’ll spend the money. Photo by Charles Deluvio via Unsplash

A Maryland woman used numbers from a fortune cookie to win a $50,000 Powerball prize — with an assist from her daily horoscope, lottery officials reported.

The Towson grandmother, who tries to buy a lottery ticket any time her horoscope includes the word “numbers,” used numbers from a fortune cookie on a ticket for the Jan. 8 Powerball drawing, officials said in a Jan. 15 news release.

“I said ‘Let me try something different,’” the woman told lottery officials.

She hit four out of five numbers drawn plus the Powerball for a $50,000 prize, officials said.

The retired medical worker said she will use her now-lucky numbers on future Mega Millions and Multi-Match tickets, officials said. She said she’s not sure how she’ll spend the money.

“It will probably go to my children and grandkids,” she said.

She had previously won a $100 Powerball prize when she matched three of five numbers plus the Powerball, lottery officials said.

Towson is about a 15-mile drive northeast from Baltimore.

What to know about Powerball

To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Woman credits fortune cookie for $50,000 Powerball win, Maryland Lottery says."

DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
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