A Kentucky woman is $50,000 richer — all thanks to a surprising source: her daughter’s fortune cookie.
Kathy Bailey of Lexington won the prize while playing the Kentucky Lottery’s Golden Snake Triple Play game with a $5 wager, according to an official lottery release.
The lucky moment came after Bailey and her family had finished a Chinese takeout dinner. She noticed the numbers in her daughter’s fortune cookie and decided to use them on a Powerball ticket purchased online. Later, while visiting the lottery’s Insta Play page, she opted to try her luck on the Golden Snake Triple Play game.
When it came time to pick a bonus round — Fan Bonus, Firecracker Bonus, or Fortune Cookie Bonus — she went with her usual choice.
“I almost always choose the Fortune Cookie Bonus,” Bailey said. “I just happened to choose that one. I just hit it and there it went.”
Seconds later, a notification appeared on her screen: she’d won $50,000.
“I was on my laptop when I saw the big ‘winner’ message, followed by the $50,000 amount,” Bailey said. “It was a lot to take in — I had to double-check that I wasn’t imagining it.”
Shortly afterward, the Kentucky Lottery confirmed her win via email.
After taxes, Bailey walked away with $36,000. She plans to tuck the money into savings.
“My husband is retiring in December, and this will be some extra money to have on hand,” she shared. “Our house, van, and truck are all paid off, so this is just a nice bonus for our future.”
According to the Kentucky Lottery, the odds of hitting the $50,000 jackpot on a $5 bet in the Golden Snake Triple Play game are 1 in 2,000,000.
Bailey’s story joins a growing list of unexpected lottery wins. In another recent case, a Massachusetts man scored $300,000 by playing elevator numbers from his old workplace.
Sometimes, luck really is in the most unexpected places — like a cookie.
