North Carolina Education Lottery Pick 3 And Pick 4 (2024)

FAQs

How much is the NC Pick 3? ›

Decide to play for $0.50 or $1.00. 50/50 (Exact/Any) plays can only be played for $1.00. Combo cost is determined by the amount played and the numbers selected on your ticket.

The Pick 4 top prize is won by matching all 4 winning numbers in the exact order drawn. Additional prizes can be won based on play type. (See Prizes & Odds chart for details.) The numbers you select determine the ways to win.

fifty one percent is paid as winnings to players. four percent is cost-of-sales. The remaining 38% goes to education proceeds, broken down as follows: Before any proceeds are paid, 5% of the proceeds goes to the Education Lottery Reserve Fund to be used when lottery proceeds fall short.

North Carolina lottery money for education

Money from the lottery makes up a portion of the statewide budget for schools. In 2023, the lottery shifted more than $1 billion to North Carolina schools. State lawmakers decide and dictate how that money should be used.

In any Pick 3 game, there are 3 digit positions, with each position containing a digit from 0 to 9. If one were to list all of the possible combinations of digits in each of the three positions, there would be a total of 1,000 different number combinations.

The key to this strategy is simple. Review the past several draws, make note of those numbers, and pick different ones! Also, vary the numbers chosen by not selecting two numbers within the same group or not selecting those that end with the same digit.

Matching Three Numbers For Powerball

The prizes start to increase in value with the more numbers you match. If you happen to match three numbers plus the Powerball number, the prize jumps from $7 to $100. The odds of matching three numbers on the Powerball are 1 in 580.

Straight/Box Play: Straight/box play prizes are awarded for matching the three (3) numbers drawn in exact and/or any order. If all three (3) numbers played are different (e.g. 123), there are six (6) possible combinations of those numbers. This type of straight/box play is called a “6-way straight/box”.

As of 2022, the NC Lottery Commission reports a record $3.88 billion in sales, with $929.8 million provided to education. If you are doing the math, that's about 24 cents on every dollar spent on the lottery that goes to education. Less than 1% of revenue was spent on NCEL salaries and benefits last year.

Does the NC lottery app tell you if you win? ›

Designed with you in mind, the NC Lottery Official Mobile App allows you to: Check your tickets (for draw games and/or scratch-offs) to see if you have a winner. Buy Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, or Cash 5 tickets with Online Play and view drawing results.

The NCEL will consider a winner's name, city/county, and the prize amount a matter of public record, unless the winner produces a valid protective order or Address Confidentiality Program authorization card. How can I claim a winning ticket? Claiming a NC Lottery prize is simple.

Odds of winning the lottery in NC

Lottery players in North Carolina have the best odds of winning the Carolina Pick 3 contest, with a 1 in 1,000 chance of selecting three numbers in the order they are drawn to win $500, according to the N.C. Education Lottery.

North Carolina has a flat tax rate of 5.25% on taxable income. Because winnings are considered taxable income, that means that to square it up with the state, your North Carolina gambling winning taxes are that same rate of 5.25%.

How long does it take to get lottery winnings in NC? For winners receiving a lump sum payment, the NCEL will make the electronic payment the same day that winners claim their prize. Generally, the deposit should arrive in the account within 2-3 business days.

If the Yellow Ball is drawn, a second Pick 3 drawing will take place immediately following the first. Prizes will be paid on both sets of numbers drawn. That's why we call it Double Draw. If a White Ball is drawn, the next evening's drawing will take place with one fewer White Ball until a Yellow Ball is drawn.

(Daytime) Pick 3 & Pick 4

Daytime drawings occur at approximately 3:00 PM.

A combo is a play covering all straight combinations of a 3-digit number and will cost $1.50 to $6.00 depending upon the amount played (50 cents or $1.00) and the number of like digits in the 3-digit number selected.