North Carolina Lottery Games
Only North Carolina residents can take part in the following North Carolina lottery games:
| Game | Prize Type | Numbers | Sale Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick 3 Daytime | Top Prize | 3 from 0-9 | 2:45 p.m. |
| Pick 3 Evening | Top Prize | 3 from 0-9 | 10:59 p.m. |
| Pick 4 Daytime | Top Prize | 4 from 0-9 | 2:45 p.m. |
| Pick 4 Evening | Top Prize | 4 from 0-9 | 10:59 p.m. |
| Cash 5 | Jackpot | 5 from 1-43 | 10:59 p.m. |
| Powerball | Jackpot | 5 from 1-69 + 1 from 1-26 | 9:59 p.m. |
| Mega Millions | Jackpot | 5 from 1-70 + 1 from 1-25 | 10:45 p.m. |
| Lucky for Life | Top Prize | 5 from 1-48 + 1 from 1-18 | 9:30 p.m. |
Game Schedule
| Game | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick 3 Daytime | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| Pick 3 Evening | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. |
| Pick 4 Daytime | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| Pick 4 Evening | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. |
| Cash 5 | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. | 11:22 p.m. |
| Powerball | 10:59 p.m. | 10:59 p.m. | |||||
| Mega Millions | 11:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. | |||||
| Lucky for Life | 11:45 p.m. | 11:45 p.m. |
*All times are displayed in North Carolina local time.
Advance Draws
The number of consecutive draws each North Carolina State Lottery games allows you to play:
| Game | Advanced Draws |
|---|---|
| Pick 3 Daytime | up to 7 |
| Pick 3 Evening | up to 7 |
| Pick 4 Daytime | up to 7 |
| Pick 4 Evening | up to 7 |
| Cash 5 | up to 28 |
| Powerball | up to 26 |
| Mega Millions | up to 26 |
| Lucky for Life | up to 26 |
North Carolina Tax Information
North Carolina Lottery Federal, and state tax withholdings on winnings for U.S. citizens or residents.
| Winnings | Tax Category | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| $600 and up to $5,000 | State Tax | 5.5% |
| $600 and up to $5,000 | Federal Tax | 0.0% |
If the winner is not a U.S. citizen or is not a US resident, North Carolina Lottery tax withholdings on winnings are as such:
| Winnings | Tax Category | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Over $5,000 | State Tax | 5.5% |
| Over $5,000 | Federal Tax | 24.0% |
The North Carolina Lottery
In 1903, the Wright brothers pulled off the first successful powered flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. It would be more than a century before North Carolinians could buy lottery tickets to give flight to their dreams of riches successfully. The North Carolina State Lottery is known as the NC Education Lottery, leaving no doubt about this lottery's purpose. The nationwide giants like Mega Millions and Powerball attract the most players, but other games like Carolina Cash 5, Carolina Pick 4, and Carolina Pick 3 also have a large and dedicated following. Cash 5 has odds of 1 in 84,000 and has yielded jackpots of over $1 million.
There are also numerous scratch card games. In North Carolina, these are known as scratch-offs and can range in price from $1 to $30. You have a chance of 1 in 2.90 to break even, and the top-end prizes are around $10 million. Tickets can be bought at any of over 7,000 participating retailers.
North Carolina also provides Play at the Pump stations at gas stations all over the state. It makes playing the lottery a matter of passing the time while taking a break!
North Carolina Lottery FAQ
Your North Carolina lottery scratch and draw tickets are only available in-store. Players must be at least 18. A North Carolina lottery app allows you to purchase tickets, check North Carolina lottery results, and get info on North Carolina lottery codes. The app is also a North Carolina lottery ticket scanner for checking your draw or scratch tickets.
You can play familiar nationwide games, such as Mega Millions and Powerball. North Carolina Lottery Lucky for Life is also a popular choice. Other titles include:
Carolina Cash 5 – Choose five numbers from 1-43.
Carolina Pick 4 – Choose four numbers to match the draw in the correct order.
Carolina Pick 3 – Choose three numbers to match the draw in the correct order.
Where and How Do I Claim Winnings from the North Carolina Lottery?
When the North Carolina lottery results fall in your favor and you need to claim your prize, the size of the prize determines your options. Prizes over $599 can be claimed at retail outlets, lottery headquarters, any lottery claim center, or through the mail. Prizes from $600 and above can be claimed at the claim centers and lottery headquarters.
Your numbers need to match the North Carolina Lottery numbers. For instance, Carolina Cash 5 requires a player to pick numbers between 1-43. The objective is to choose five numbers that will appear in the draw. Smaller prizes can be won with fewer matched North Carolina Lottery winning numbers.
Odds for winning the North Carolina lottery Mega Millions are 1 in 302 million. For the North Carolina Lottery Powerball jackpot it is 1 in 175 million. Other odds are as follows:
Lucky for Life: 1 in 31 million
Carolina Cash 5: 1 in 84,000
Carolina Pick 4: 1 in 10,000
Carolina Pick 3: 1 in 1000
North Carolina Lottery winners pocket about $4 million in prizes every day. In 2019, $344.6 million of that money went to Charles Jackson Jr.
The results of the North Carolina lottery take place at the following approximate times:
Mega Millions: Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 pm.
Powerball: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11 pm
Lucky for Life: Mondays and Thursdays 10:35 pm
Carolina Cash 5: Daily at 11:20
Carolina Pick 4 and Pick 3: Daily at 3 pm and 11:22 pm
You can enter non-winning scratch cards for more chances to win. Scratch tickets can be entered into North Carolina Lottery Second Chance draws for prizes up to $100 000.
North Carolina lottery winners will pay state tax on winnings starting at $600. Up to $5000, a state tax of 5.499% will be withheld. Over $5000, 5.499% state tax and 24% federal tax is payable.
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