North Carolina (NC) Lottery Results & Winning Numbers
Results Updated On:21 Dec 2024 (GMT)
| Game | Winning Numbers | Details |
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| Mega Millions |
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| Powerball |
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| Cash 5 |
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| Lucky For Life |
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| Pick 4 Day |
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| Pick 4 Evening |
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| Pick 3 Day |
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| Pick 3 Evening |
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| Evening 3 Double |
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| Powerball Double Play |
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| Double Play |
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| Midday 4 Fireball |
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| Midday 3 Fireball |
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North Carolina Lottery Drawing Schedule
All times shown are Eastern Time (GMT-5:00)| Game | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| Pick 3 Daytime | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
| Pick 3 Evening | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 |
| Pick 4 Daytime | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
| Pick 4 Evening | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 |
| Cash 5 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 | 23:22 |
| Lucky for Life | 22:38 | 22:38 | 22:38 | 22:38 | 22:38 | 22:38 | 22:38 |
| Powerball | 22:59 | 22:59 | 22:59 | ||||
| Mega Millions | 23:00 | 23:00 |
North Carolina introduced the state lottery in 2005, long after many other US states. Nevertheless, it didn’t take long before the NC lottery accumulated billions of dollars in ticket sales.
Today, the lottery attracts millions of players every year thanks to numerous exciting games like Mega Millions, Powerball, and Lucky For Life, to mention a few. If you’re interested in trying any of the NC lottery games, make sure to read this guide and learn everything about the games, including the potential top prizes, drawing schedules, winning numbers, the latest results, and more.
About North Carolina Education Lottery
The North Carolina Education Lottery started to operate in 2005 after Governor Mike Easley signed the 2005 Appropriations Act and the North Carolina State Lottery Act. Once it became officially legal, the government of North Carolina started overseeing one of the youngest lottery systems in the state.
The first games North Carolina residents could play included scratch-off tickets, but the NC lottery expanded quite rapidly and added multi-state games like the US Powerball and several other daily draws.
You can see that the system’s full name is NC Education Lottery (North Carolina Education Lottery)on the official NC lottery website, signaling that the NC lottery uses its proceeds to fund public education in the state.
List of North Carolina Lottery Games
- Mega Millions
- Powerball
- Lucky for Life
- Cash 5
- Pick 4
- Pick 3
- Keno
North Carolina Lottery Rules
Just like any other game, every lottery available in North Carolina has certain rules to adhere to. Although the rules may differ depending on the game in question, some general points are always there. Here are a few terms and conditions all NC lottery games have in common:
- You need to be a US resident physically located in North Carolina;
- You must be at least 18 years old;
- You must have an NCEL account topped up with sufficient funds.
North Carolina Lottery Tickets
Lottery players from North Carolina can buy their tickets at 7,000+ authorized retailers or Play at the Pump electronic stations. In case you don’t know where the nearest NC lottery selling point is, feel free to check the Where to Play page features on the NCEL official lottery site. You can find the closest retailer by providing your county, ZIP code, GPS location, and even the desired game type.
Can I Buy NC Lottery Tickets Online?
North Carolina is one of the few states where you can buy your lottery tickets online. You can also buy the tickets through your mobile device as the NCEL features a standalone mobile application.
North Carolina Lottery Games and Drawing Schedule
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is one of the most rewarding multi-state lotteries that awards jackpot prizes to players who match five numbers and one Mega ball. While playing Mega Millions, you can also activate a special feature called Megaplier and increase your winning chances by paying an extra dollar (Mega Millions). The drawings for NC Mega Millions take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11:00pm. Winning numbers can be found online.
Powerball
Powerball is another high-paying lottery game that requires players to guess five white balls and one red Powerball for the top prize. Also, if you’re willing to spend $1 more on your ticket, you can add the Power Play feature and increase your non-jackpot winnings up to 10 times. Unlike Mega Millions, there are nine ways to win, and drawings occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59pm. Winning numbers can be found online
Lucky for Life
Lucky For Life is a game that will continue paying out for the rest of your life if you manage to guess five numbers and one Lucky Ball. Unlike Mega Millions, for only $2, you can win the main and top prize and start receiving $1,000 per day for the rest of your life, and yes, when we say per day, we mean every day. The drawings occur daily at approximately 10:35pm. Winning numbers can be found online
Cash 5
Cash 5 is one of the best progressive jackpot games you can play in North Carolina. The jackpot starts at $100,000 and increases every day until one lucky winner matches all five numbers and have access to the top prize. The additional Double Play is available for an additional dollar and EZ Match for the same price. You can follow Cash 5 drawings every night at around 11:20pm. Winning numbers can be found online
Pick 4
With Pick 4 you choose the right four numbers between zero and nine, and you can win $5,000 in either day or evening drawing. Before you start playing Pick 4, you can choose your game styles, after which you can follow Pick 4 day draw at around 3pm. or an evening draw at approximately 11:20pm every day. Pick 4 Winning numbers can be found online
Pick 3
Pick 3 is almost the same lottery game as Pick 4 with a single difference — with NC Pick 3 you need to pick only three numbers from zero to nine. Pick 3 Daily drawings take place at approximately 3pm for a day draw and 11:20pm for an evening one. Once again, with Pick 3 you can choose your gameplay as per your personal preferences. Winning numbers for Pick 3 can be found online.
Keno
Carolina Keno features more than 300 drawings daily and allows you to decide how many numbers you’ll guess. In keno, these numbers are called spots, and you can pick up to 10 from a range between 1 and 80. Every four minutes, a new drawing occurs, and the game styles you can choose from are numerous. Winning numbers can be found online
How to Claim a Lottery Prize in North Carolina
If your prize is worth $600 or less, you can claim it in any retail store, a regional claim center, the NCEL headquarters, or via mail. For a prize ranging between $600 and $99,999, you can claim your winning numbers via all the mentioned options except for retail shops. Finally, if you win a big top prize worth $100,000 or more, you can only claim it at the NCEL headquarters. But first, make sure to check and verify winning numbers online.
Also, you’ll have to submit certain documents for prize claims of $600 and above. These documents are:
- An NCEL Winner Claim Form (available for download on the NCEL website);
- Photo ID containing your name, age, and signature;
- Social Security card.
You have 90 calendar days to collect your prize from scratch-offs and 180 for draw games prizes. Also, you must sign the ticket on the back.
If you’ve played any game online, you must claim prizes higher than $100,000 in person at NCEL Headquarters in Raleigh. If a prize is anything between $600 and $99,999, you can claim the winning numbers online, while a prize smaller than $600 automatically gets added to your NCEL account.
Notable Winners of North Carolina Lotteries
If you don’t believe that you can win a huge lottery jackpot, maybe the following stories will change your mind:
- In 2019, A 66-year-old Charles W. Jackson Jr. from Cumberland County hit a Powerball jackpot and took home $344.6 million;
- That same year, Frank Reams played Cash 5 online and won a huge prize worth $747,018.
- In 2018, many people won large amounts of money, but the best of all was the $25,000 A Year For Life prize that went into the hands of Alex Jasinski, who took part in the Lucky for Life Monday game.
- Lady Luck also smiled upon some scratch-off players like Shelby Tripp of Greenville, who ended up with $2.4 million thanks to a $150 Million Cash Explosion ticket.
North Carolina Lottery Scratch-Offs
Scratch-offs represent the fastest way to earn money. All you need to do is buy a ticket and scratch off the first layer, after which the symbols become visible.
You can also try your luck on various Fast Play Games in North Carolina that work similarly to scratch-offs. When you choose a game, you get a ticket printed on the spot with instructions on playing. You can win instant cash prizes and a progressive jackpot then and there.
North Carolina Lottery Second Chances — What is Second Chance?
Second Chance is a special treatment offered by the NCEL for registered users. If you’ve purchased a lottery ticket and didn’t win, Second Chance gives you another chance. You can take one more shot with the non-winning ticket.
How Does Second Chance Work for NC Lottery?
Second Chance promotions regularly change, and for the latest information about the eligible games and drawing schedules, you should visit the NCEL website. Use your NCEL account credentials to sign in and check the 2nd Chance Draws under the Lucke-Rewards tab.
Information on North Carolina Lottery
North Carolina Lottery Office
The NC Education Lottery Headquarters and regional office is located at 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite144, Raleigh, NC 27604. Apart from the headquarters, the NCEL has regional offices and claim centers in Asheville, Greensboro, Greenville, Charlotte, and Wilmington.
North Carolina Lottery Customer Support
If you have any additional questions about the NCEL, you can get your answers on a resourceful FAQ page or contact its customer support from 8am to 8pm using one of the following methods:
- Live chat;
- Email: [email protected];
- Phone: 1-866-934-0289.
North Carolina Lottery Social Accounts
The NCEL is present on social media too. Find the newest information about lottery games in North Carolina on various NCEL social media accounts, such as:
North Carolina Lottery Apps and Technology
As mentioned, the NCEL has developed a native mobile app for players willing to purchase online lottery tickets. They can also use the app to find a nearby lottery retailer, scan tickets to check for winners, enter them in Lucke-Rewards points, etc.
The app is available to both iOS and Android users. Use the download link on the NCEL web page to take you to your respective app store.
North Carolina Tax Information
The NCEL must report all lottery prizes worth $600 or above to the IRS and the North Carolina Department of Revenue. All prizes between $600 and $5,000 are subject to the minimum standard state tax of 5.50%, while prizes over $5,000 are reduced by both state tax and 25% federal tax.
North Carolina Lottery FAQs
Are North Carolina Lottery rules different for online players?
No, they aren’t. The only extra thing to do is to create an account on the NCEL website. After that, you can buy your NC lottery tickets the same way you do in retail shops.
Are all lottery games listed on the Lottery Critic site legit?
Absolutely. We used the official NCEL website information to create our page from day one, and we’ve been doing so for all the updates regarding the list of games, winning numbers, drawing schedules, and other details. Therefore, you can rest assured that everything you read on our website is trustworthy and accurate.
When will I receive my winnings from the North Carolina Lottery?
If you claim your prize in person, you’ll receive your money instantly. Also, the prizes under $600 won online will be automatically added to your account. On the other hand, if you decide to claim your prize via mail or any other method in case of online play, you may have to wait up to ten business days to receive it.
