By Todd Northrop
RALEIGH, N.C. — Triple digits paid off in a big way for North Carolina Pick 3 players in the Monday, Sept. 6 evening drawing.
The 2-2-2 combination resulted in a record-setting prize payout of $2.88 million to more than 11,000 winning tickets.
This record payout is the highest since the Dec. 25, 2009 drawing, which paid out more than $2.28 million to players who chose the 5-5-5 combination.
Monday's drawing was the first time the 2-2-2 combination has been drawn since Pick 3 sales began. Now that 2-2-2 has been drawn, every possibly triple digit combination has occurred.
Carolina Pick 3, which launched in October 2006, is among the most popular games the NCEL offers. It is one of the three online games offered that are available to play only in North Carolina, unlike Powerball and Mega Millions, which are multi-state games. The other online games specific to the NCEL are Carolina Pick 4 and Carolina Cash 5.
Other recent N.C. winners
Carolina Cash 5 paid off nicely for two players over the Labor Day holiday. Someone purchased a Carolina Cash 5 ticket in Raleigh that matched all five white balls in the Sept. 4 drawing and is worth $188,192.
The ticket was purchased at Kroger on Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh.
Also, a ticket sold in Moyock, in Currituck County, matched all five white balls in the Sept. 6 drawing and is worth $53,000. The ticket was purchased at The Border Station on Caratoke Highway in Moyock.
In the Powerball drawing held on Saturday, Sept. 4, a total of 26,662 players won prizes ranging from $3 to $10,000 for a total payout in prizes of $177,568. Because no ticket matched all six balls in the drawing, the jackpot for the Wednesday, Sept. 8 drawing is $62 million if taken as an annuity or $33.8 million as a lump-sum payment.
A total of 10,138 North Carolina players won prizes in the Friday, Sept. 3 Mega Millions drawing, ranging from $2 to $40,000 for a total payout in prizes of $118,529. One Megaplier ticket matched four white balls and the Mega Ball and, due to the multiplier being four, is worth $40,000. The ticket was sold at J. S. Krish on North Wilson Street in Fremont in Wayne County. The jackpot for the Tuesday, Sept. 7 drawing is an estimated $25 million if taken as an annuity or $16.9 million if the lump-sum payment is chosen.
The North Carolina Education Lottery has paid out more than $6.2 million in instant scratch-off ticket prizes since Thursday, Sept. 2. Carolina Pick 3 players have won more than $4.4 million. Carolina Pick 4 players have won more than $339,000 including 21 tickets that won the top prize of $5,000. Carolina Cash 5 players have won more than $382,000.
- $53,000 - Carolina Cash 5 (Sept. 6 drawing): [winner unknown], sold at The Border Station, 101 Caratoke Hwy., Moyock
- $188,192 - Carolina Cash 5 (Sept. 4 drawing): [winner unknown], sold at Kroger #303, 7905 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh
- $10,000 - Powerball (Sept. 4 drawing): [winner unknown], sold at Wilco 1827, 1545 N.C. 56, Creedmoor
- $10,000 - Powerball (Sept. 4 drawing): [winner unknown], sold at Blue Ridge Mini Mart, 3132 U.S. 70 W., Black Mountain
- $40,000 - Mega Millions (Sept. 3 drawing): [winner unknown], sold at J. S. Krish, LLC, 501 N. Wilson St., Fremont
- $30,000 - Powerball (Sept. 1 drawing): Renee Gulledge of Salisbury, sold at Rushco Food Stores #5, 601 Jake Alexander Blvd., Salisbury
- $10,000 - Powerball (Sept. 1 drawing): Teresa Parham of Norlina, sold at Oine Road Best Bet BP, 927 Oine Rd., Norlina
- $10,000 - Powerball (Aug. 21 drawing): Donald Arnold of Jacksonville, sold at Handee Hugo #33, 467 Western Blvd., Jacksonville
- $10,000 - Cash Spectacular instant scratch-off game: Donald Alligood of Washington
- $6,000 - Quick 6's instant scratch-off game: Gwendolyn Hansley of Currie
- $5,000 - $200 Million Extravaganza instant scratch-off game: Billy Bingham of Gastonia
- $5,000 - Cash Spectacular instant scratch-off game: Robert Camp of Kings Mountain
- $5,000 - Cash Spectacular instant scratch-off game: Marisa Cauthen of Kannapolis
- $5,000 - $200 Million Extravaganza instant scratch-off game: Patricia Church of Trinity
- $5,000 - $200 Million Extravaganza instant scratch-off game: Toby Eason of Vanceboro
- $5,000 - $200 Million Extravaganza instant scratch-off game: Donna Plemmons of Marble
- $5,000 - $200,000 Cash instant scratch-off game: James Short of Rockingham
BIG CONGRATZ to all the NC PLAYERS!!!
Cutla$$Bob
In California, those of us that are "in the know" never play trips. Since this is a pari-mutuel state, the payout for trips is VERY low. The last triple here (888) paid $253 to a total of 358 players!! Maybe NC will change to pari-mutuel and save tons of money. I don't like the pari-mutuel because you never know how much will be paid.
Followed by triple 3's. wow
it's about time for them to give back some of the money
Kentucky will payout $1,375,000 because 777 hit this afternoon and after paying out $1,500,000 when 444 hit on Saturday.
New Jersey is also a pari-mutuel state. Payouts on triples are the absolute worst.
Last triple drawn - 6/26/10 - Midday - 999 - 143.50
I didn't know that about NJ. Yes, it really is a bummer.
Ohio is not a pari-mutuel state, it limits the amount of money that can be wagered on a pick3 combination to limit its liability. Payouts seldom go above a half million dollars but I think it can go as high as a million dollars when the limit is reached.
Sounds exciting ....... congrats to all NC Lottery Winners !
So far my "record" is $100 in the Powerball several years ago ......... but looking for a record payout for the town where I live !
you got that right mooky.
The Ohio Lottery recently paid out almost $1.8 million when 000 was drawn. The limit was $3 million and was paid out a few times.
"Maybe NC will change to pari-mutuel and save tons of money."
It all evens out in the end. The big payout when triples hit means that lots of people are playing triples all of the times that other numbers come up, too. Any game with odds of 1 in 1000 that pays 500 to 1 for a win will keep 50% of the money in the long run. Similarly, parimutuel prizes also average out over time. The last 5+0 MM winner in CA got 508 k instead of the 250k for winners in other states. 2 drawings before that two winners each got 667k.
I don't follow the pick3 game that close but I was aware of the wager limit because it has been reached several times on special dates like 911 and others but I never knew one of those numbers had actually hit. Maybe N.C. has a wager limit too and wasn't surprised to be paying out $2.88M.
I just hope my cousin got her part since it her daughter's B'day.