Editing Powerball (section)

=== Fortune cookie payout ===
The Powerball drawing on March 30, 2005, produced 110 second-prize winners. The total payout to these winners was $19.4 million, with 89 winners receiving $100,000 each, while the other 21 winners received $500,000 each as they were Power Play selections.

MUSL officials initially suspected fraud or a reporting error. However, all 110 winners had played numbers from [[fortune cookie]]s made by Wonton Food Inc. of [[Long Island City, New York]]. The factory had printed the numbers "22, 28, 32, 33, 39, 40" on thousands of fortunes. The "40" in the fortune did not match the Powerball number, 42.  No employees of Wonton Food played those numbers. At the time, the closest game member was [[Connecticut]].<ref name="STimes_PB">{{cite news|url=https://www.multilotto.com/en/lotterynews/110-players-shared-a-19-400-000-powerball-pay-out-thanks-to-fortune-cookie-numbers|title=110 players share Powerball pay-out thanks to fortune cookie numbers|work=Multilotto.com}}</ref> Because the ticket holders had won as result of a coincidence rather than foul play, the payouts were made.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lotterypost.com/news/112702 |title=Fortune cookie bet made Powerball lottery players rich |work=The Seattle Times |date=May 11, 2005 |access-date=February 13, 2012}}</ref>

Had the fortune cookie given 42 as the Powerball number, these winners would have shared the $25 million jackpot: each $227,272 annuity or $122,727 cash (before withholdings).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usamega.com/powerball-drawing.asp?d=3/30/2005 |title=Powerball Drawing Detail for Wednesday, March 30, 2005 |publisher=USA Mega |date=March 30, 2005 |access-date=February 13, 2012}}</ref> The fortune on the cookie read: "All the preparation you've done will finally be paying off."<ref name=STimes_PB />