New grandpa plays fortune cookie numbers in NC lottery for 6 months — then it pays off
Phillip Vince has had an especially exciting week: the birth of his first grandchild, his wedding anniversary and a large North Carolina Powerball win.
“It’s definitely been a great week,” Vince told lottery officials, according to a June 2 North Carolina Education Lottery news release. “And it’s a nice anniversary gift too.”
Vince matched four white balls and the red Powerball on May 29 , earning him a $50,000 prize, officials said. Then, the 2X Power Play multiplier hit, doubling his prize to $100,000.
The Hope Mills lottery player said he picked his numbers using a fortune cookie he got from a Chinese restaurant.
“I have numbers I saved from my fortune cookie that I use,” he told officials. “I’ve been playing them for about six months.”
Days before his big win, Vince missed the Cash 5 jackpot prize by one number, according to officials.
“It’s crazy,” he said.
Vince bought his lucky ticket using Online Play on the lottery’s app, officials said. After taxes, he took home $71,251.
Now, Vince plans to pay some bills, save for retirement and ”maybe splurge a little bit,” he told officials.
This story was originally published June 2, 2023 at 2:06 PM with the headline "New grandpa plays fortune cookie numbers in NC lottery for 6 months — then it pays off."
