What are NC Lottery Scratch Codes?
NC Lottery Results
(Plus 3 Min Guide to Improving Your Chances of Winning)
If you are looking to improve your North Carolina Lottery game play, you’ve come to the right place! We always say Luck Favors the Prepared.
With Lotto Edge, you’ll always know the games with the best winning odds plus receive expert tips and insights. You just need to bring the luck to WIN BIG! Keep the tips coming by joining our newsletter.
NC Lottery Results & Winning Numbers
Did you play the North Carolina lottery last night? Check the latest winning numbers to see if you won!
NEXT DRAWING
Wed Dec 7
NEXT DRAWING
Wed Dec 7
NEXT DRAWING
Wed Dec 7
The Best Lottery Game for Any Budget
The NCEL offers lottery tickets in a variety of prices. However, the odds of winning vary greatly from one game to the next. Always compare the overall odds and individual prize odds for games in your budget. Click any game for a full list of prize odds and payouts.
| GAME | BASE TICKET PRICE | OVERALL ODDS |
|---|---|---|
| NC Powerball | $2 | 1 in 24.9 |
| NC Mega Millions | $2 | 1 in 24.0 |
| NC Pick 3 (Day & Night) | $0.50 or $1.00 | 1 in 1,000 (Exact) |
| NC Pick 4 (Day & Night) | $0.50 or $1.00 | 1 in 10,000 (Exact) |
| Carolina Cash 5 | $1 | 1 in 10.51 |
| Lucky for Life | $2 | 1 in 7.8 |
| Scratch Offs | $1 - $30 |  |
What Time is the Next NCEL Live Drawing?
The North Carolina Education Lottery has daily drawings and sales cut-offs that vary by game. Never miss a lottery draw again with our comprehensive calendar that combines today’s drawing times and sales cut off times (in brackets) for each draw.
| GAME | FREQUENCY | DRAW TIME (SALES END) |
|---|---|---|
| Powerball | Mon / Wed / Sat | 10:59 pm (9:59 pm) |
| Carolina Cash 5 | Daily | 11:22 pm (10:59 pm) |
| Mega Millions | Tues / Fri | 11:00 pm (10:45 pm) |
| Lucky for Life | Mon / Thurs | 10:38 pm (9:30 pm) |
| Carolina Pick 4 Day | Daily | 3:00 pm (2:45 pm) |
| Carolina Pick 4 Evening | Daily | 11:22 pm (10:59 pm) |
| Carolina Pick 3 Day | Daily | 3:00 pm (2:45 pm) |
| Carolina Pick 3 Evening | Daily | 11:22 pm (10:59 pm) |
What are the 2nd Chance Drawings & Lucke Rewards?
Second Chance drawings are bonus chances to win and are open exclusively to players who have purchased an eligible NC State Lotto game ticket. Eligible tickets can be entered into your NC Lottery Account and in most cases you will receive your points and entries automatically when you enter the ticket.
With your NC Education Lottery account, you can also participate in Lucke Rewards, in which you’ll have more chances to win! All NC Education Lottery tickets that include a Lucke Rewards Entry Code are eligible for Lucke Rewards. Scratch-off are eligible for entry as long as the game is eligible for claims and eligible draw games include Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash 5, Lucky for Life, Pick 4, Pick 3, Keno, and Fast Play games. The Lucke Rewards Entry Code on a draw game ticket expires 180 days from the purchase date printed on the ticket. Draw game purchases through Online Play receive points automatically.
Need a NC Lottery Account? Download the latest NCEL App and create an account.
Finding the Best NCEL Scratch Offs
At Lotto Edge, Scratch Offs are kind of our thing. Daily we collect actual NC Lottery scratch data for every prize in every game! You heard that right.
We run thousands of calculations on the data and then provide our members simple rankings of the best games to play. We offer over 20 rankings so no matter how you like to play or what prizes you are after, we have a ranking tailor made for you. Below is just a sample of rankings and game details we cover.
Expert Tips & Facts to Rev Up Your Play
Our experts have pulled together some helpful nuggets to increase your knowledge of playing the NC Lottery. Got any additional tips? Let us know.
TIP #1: FIRST TUESDAY
Set your calendars! New NCEL scratch offs are released the 1st Tuesday of every month.
TIP #2: SCRATCH OFF ODDS
Scratch off ticket odds almost always beat draw games BUT the odds change daily. Check back frequently to keep up with the latest odds changes!
TIP #3: TICKET GIVEAWAYS
If you’ve got Facebook, don’t miss out on extra giveaways. Follow the North Carolina Education Lottery's Facebook page for free ticket giveaways!
TIP #4: 2ND CHANCE DRAWINGS & LUCKE REWARDS
When playing a game with a Second Chance Drawing, always make sure to enter your ticket. Its a free bonus chance to win. Same goes for entering your Lucke Rewards points!
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Commonly Asked Questions by Players
We talk to lottery players daily and are constantly pouring over lotto questions from around the web. We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions that players want to know. If you have a question we missed, we probably have an answer. Drop us a line.
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When does the North Carolina Lottery post draw results? The North Carolina Lottery posts winning results immediately after each drawing. Our lottery results, while unofficial, are posted soon after each drawing as well.
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Can I play the lottery online? Yes. You’ll be happy to know that you can buy tickets for your favorite draw games online. The NCEL doesn’t offer any instant games online (yet).
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Can I use a debit or credit card to buy tickets? You can buy NCEL tickets with debit cards or cash and some retailers will also accept gift cards or checks. Credit cards are not approved for NC Lotto purchases. NCEL Online accepts debit, PayPal, and ACH.
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How long do I have to collect a prize? Scratch Off prizes can be collected up to 90 days after the published end of the game. Draw game prizes can be collected up to 180 after the drawing that the ticket was purchased for.
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How old do I have to be to play the lottery in the state of NC? If you’re 18 or older, you can play!
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Where can I buy tickets? There are over 6800 retailers selling NCEL tickets across North Carolina. Look for the PLAY HERE signs or check which retailers are near you. You can also buy your favorite draw games online with your NCEL account.
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How can I claim a winning ticket? Prize claims under $600 can be claimed at a lottery retailer, regional claim center, NCEL Headquarters or by mail.
Prizes of $600 to $99,999 can be claimed at a regional claim center, NCEL Headquarters or by mail.
Prizes of $100,000 and up can only be claimed at NCLottery Headquarters.
For an updated list of Regional Claim Center locations and hours plus claim forms, visit the NCLottery Claims Page.
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Can winners remain anonymous? Unfortunately in the State of North Carolina, winners currently cannot remain anonymous.
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Does the NCEL have an App? Yes. The NC lottery app includes ticket scanner, including scratch off scanner and the ability to enter 2nd chance drawings.
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What are the 3 digit codes on scratch off tickets? These 3 digit codes are also known as validation codes. The 3 digit codes were used by retailers for sight validations prior to computers doing the validation. You can read more about the secret NC Lottery Codes on our blog.
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Where can I see a list of North Carolina Lottery winners? The North Carolina lottery posts recent winners in all games including scratch off winners and draw games. You can find the latest list of winners at the NC Lottery Winners Page.
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What other lottery games does NC offer? The NC Lottery also offers keno and fast play games. Keep up with the latest keno results on the official NC Lottery Keno Page.
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Where can I find Lottery Predictions? Anyone or any website offering to sell you drawing game predictions should be viewed with skepticism. Drawing games are random ball drawings where the previous draws have no impact on future drawings.
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How Can I watch the Live Drawings? Live drawings take place in Raleigh and are aired on WRAL.
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Where can I find past lottery drawing results? NC Lottery numbers from past drawing are available from nclottery.com. Click on the game you are interested (e.g. Powerball), then click the tab “Past Draws”.
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Are there any NCLottery strategies that can help me? Check out our best NC Lottery scratch off rankings and find a ranking that fits your playing style. All our rankings provide you a daily updated list of the best scratch off games to play.
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Can I buy NC tickets online with the Lotter? No. The Lotter is a 3rd party ticket broker licensed to sell online drawing game tickets in certain states. Residents of TX, OR and MN can purchase tickets online and participate in international lotteries. It is not currently available to buy NC tickets.
Playing North Carolina Lottery Online
The NC Education Lottery currently only mandates the playing of lottery games at physical retailers and online. Many other states have expanded their gambling offerings to other services. We’ve included a full list of online gambling games and included only officially licensed & regulated gaming providers legal in North Carolina.
| Games | Available NC Lottery | Licensed 3rd Parties |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch Offs | No | No |
| Draw Games | Yes | No |
| Sportsbook | No | No |
| Casino | No | No |
| Poker | No | No |
| Bingo | No | No |
| Daily Fantasy | No | Monkey Knife Fight* DraftKings FanDuel |
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About the NC Lottery
North Carolina is serious about making the most of the state lottery in every way. The North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) has designed a fun and secure platform that delivers exceptional gameplay options to loyal N. Carolina Lottery fans and creates a path for funding educational priorities outlined by the state legislature.
Every ticket offers a chance for you to win, but whether or not you win, your dollars are, in part, supporting the youth of North Carolina through the education system.
Want to learn more? Visit the the official NCLottery Homepage at nclottery.com
Conclusion
Did we miss anything or have anything we need to update? Drop us a note and tell us what you think.
If you found this helpful, make sure to check out our Expert NC scratch off analytics. It’s sure to help you find the scratch offs with the best odds of winning.
Read More
What are NC Lottery Scratch Codes?
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