"GOOD FORTUNE" COOKIE LEADS TO A $500,000 DELAWARE POWERBALL® PRIZE

Dover, DE -- A 58-year-old maintenance mechanic from Wilmington has claimed a $500,000 POWERBALL® Power Play® prize from the June 15, 2005 drawing. He and his wife, who have chosen to remain anonymous, claimed their prize today at the Lottery Office in Dover. The winning ticket, which was purchased at Brandywine Liquors on Naamans Road in Wilmington, matched all five white numbers except the red POWERBALL® number to win a $100,000 prize. The couple also purchased a $1 Power Play® multiplier to boost their winnings five-fold. They were awarded a check for $375,000, which represents the $500,000 prize minus federal taxes.

The Wilmington couple told Lottery officials they selected their numbers from the back of a fortune cookie after eating Chinese takeout one evening. The winner's wife enjoyed the proverb on the reverse side so much that she kept the fortune, and her husband started to play the winning number combination. The couple told Lottery officials that they are regular players of POWERBALL® and had won $40 the week prior to their latest win. When asked what they plan to do with their winnings, the couple responded by saying that they plan on paying bills.

Also today, another anonymous POWERBALL® winner has claimed a $100,000 prize from the May 28, 2005 drawing. The winner, who plans on investing his winnings, had purchased only one ticket on a whim from Dollar Magic in Claymont. He was awarded a $75,000 check, which represents the $100,000 prize after federal taxes.

The estimated annuity jackpot for the Wednesday, June 22 POWERBALL® drawing is $52 million.

Since the start of operations in 1975, the Delaware Lottery has contributed more than $1.8 billion to the state's General Fund to help finance needed state services that benefit everyone in Delaware. The Lottery offers a variety of games: POWERBALL®, LOTTO, PLAY 3, PLAY 4, and assorted Instant Games.