N.C. lottery begins with winners, losers -- and some glitches

Mar 30, 2006, 1:56 pm (16 comments)

North Carolina Lottery

North Carolina woke up scratching this morning as the state lottery began.

The first tickets in the N.C. Education Lottery, the country's newest government-backed game, began selling at 6 a.m. today.

There were winners, losers and a few technical glitches.

As lottery buyers mixed with regular early morning patrons, ticket sales appeared brisk at gas stations, groceries and tackle shops across Wilmington.

Charles Brinkley, of Wilmington, was ready with $52 at 5:30 a.m. at a Scotchman convenience store on North 23rd Street.

"I've been waiting for this since it was announced," said Brinkley, who said he was on disability and had traveled to South Carolina and Virginia in the past to buy lottery tickets.

His first was a winner -- $10. His second netted him a free $5 ticket.

Judy Johnson, manager of Kangaroo gas station on Gordon Road, said the lottery computer there — which is needed to verify winning tickets — wasn't working.

But, she said, that didn't stop clerks from selling tickets and paying winners.

State Board of Education chairman Howard Lee bought the ceremonial first tickets in Raleigh at dawn, making North Carolina the 42nd state with a lottery.

His purchase of five $1 scratch-off tickets began a planned day of celebration for supporters who have long championed the lottery as a way to raise money for education.

Tom Shaheen, executive director of the lottery, and state Board of Education member John Tate were greeted by more than a dozen staff members at Charlotte's lottery headquarters, where they cut a ribbon before buying the Queen City's first $5 ticket.

Shaheen, who took the job in December, says the months of hard work has paid off, but there is still plenty more to do.

"I think that everybody at the lottery deserves to take this weekend off," he said. "Come Monday, we're right back in it because we have Powerball starting up May 30 and we are right back in the startup mode."

The state is starting with four kinds of instant-win tickets available at more than 5,000 outlets. A variety of new scratch-off tickets will soon follow.

Officials expect the lottery to raise about $400 million in its first year for education, with the money targeted for class-size reduction, school construction and need-based college scholarships.

Lottery Post Staff

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DoubleDown

If you have an itch.....by all means scratch it !!!

DD

cps10's avatarcps10

I am with you on that DD! I am going to scratch some more tonight! I think I have fleas!

DoubleDown

I think I have an itch....

I'm gonna go get me some GA lottery "paper slot machines" myself this afternoon .

Since it's in vogue to tell how we do on them, look for my report later.

DD

cps10's avatarcps10

Yeah, why not? Hearing about one's successes and failures drives some of us and allows some of us to commiserate too :)

CASH Only

If the payout % is lower in NC than the surrounding states, the novelty will wear off quickly. At least Powerball pays out the same in all MUSL jurisdictions.

cps10's avatarcps10

Good point CASH...however, I think the odds differences are negligible for those who play this stuff all the time.

Kidzmom's avatarKidzmom

Well I scratched my itch and won on the $1 NC Educational lottery ticket and my itch was worth

$50 bucks!  I played $10 so I am good.  A $40 profit isn't half bad.

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

wtg kidzmom!!

CASH Only

Well I scratched my itch and won on the $1 NC Educational lottery ticket and my itch was worth

$50 bucks!  I played $10 so I am good.  A $40 profit isn't half bad.

Good for you! I stopped playing NY scratches because the NY lottery is so corrupt.

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

Well I scratched my itch and won on the $1 NC Educational lottery ticket and my itch was worth

$50 bucks!  I played $10 so I am good.  A $40 profit isn't half bad.

Good for you! I stopped playing NY scratches because the NY lottery is so corrupt.

play annuity only lotteries,lol

Ladyluck2005's avatarLadyluck2005

Well the first ticket I got (the $100,000 Carolina Cash) I won $25.....turned around and got 5 more of those $100,000 Carolina Cash- won 2 free tickets from that....turned around & got 2 more tickets & won a total of $10 on each of those tickets.  Not bad if I say so.

CASH Only

Well the first ticket I got (the $100,000 Carolina Cash) I won $25.....turned around and got 5 more of those $100,000 Carolina Cash- won 2 free tickets from that....turned around & got 2 more tickets & won a total of $10 on each of those tickets.  Not bad if I say so.

Sounds like you broke even...which is supposedly harder to do in NC than the surrounding states.

Ladyluck2005's avatarLadyluck2005

Well the first ticket I got (the $100,000 Carolina Cash) I won $25.....turned around and got 5 more of those $100,000 Carolina Cash- won 2 free tickets from that....turned around & got 2 more tickets & won a total of $10 on each of those tickets.  Not bad if I say so.

Sounds like you broke even...which is supposedly harder to do in NC than the surrounding states.

Well I'm still winning on those tickets.  I got 4 more today & won another $15.  Now if only my winnings would increase a little bit.  Big Smile

CASH Only

Well the first ticket I got (the $100,000 Carolina Cash) I won $25.....turned around and got 5 more of those $100,000 Carolina Cash- won 2 free tickets from that....turned around & got 2 more tickets & won a total of $10 on each of those tickets.  Not bad if I say so.

Sounds like you broke even...which is supposedly harder to do in NC than the surrounding states.

Well I'm still winning on those tickets.  I got 4 more today & won another $15.  Now if only my winnings would increase a little bit.  Big Smile

South Carolina retailers were posting that NC would have a lower payout %. IMO the novelty will wear off.

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