It's the largest payout for North Carolina's Pick 4 game
By Kate Northrop
RALEIGH, N.C. — Thousands of North Carolina lottery players are celebrating lucky number 9 after winning numbers 9-9-9-9 were drawn for the Pick 4 game on Monday night.
There were 2,574 winning tickets in all. 1,303 of those tickets purchased for $1 will earn the top prize of $5,000 each, and 1,095 tickets bought for $0.50 will earn $2,500. 176 players won smaller prizes.
The total winnings for this drawing add up to about $9.2 million — the most ever won in a single N.C. Pick 4 drawing. It beats out the previous record of $7.8 million paid out in prizes when the numbers 0-0-0-0 were drawn on Saturday, June 22, 2019.
Four-digit combinations, also known as quads, are popular among lottery players in Pick 4 draw games. According to a press release by the N.C. Education Lottery, the odds of matching all four numbers in a Pick 4 drawing are 1 In 10,000.
Players from across the state lined up at lottery claim centers on Tuesday to collect their winnings while following social distancing guidelines and safety precautions.
One lucky winner, Pauline Bordes of Bunnlevel, visited Lottery headquarters in Raleigh to pick up her check. She plans on using her earnings to pay some bills.
"I was a bit surprised," she said, smiling after she left the building with her $5,000 prize in-hand. "I play, but when it actually came, I said, 'Wow. It happened.'"
Another player, Brenda Todd of Durham, checked the Pick 4 results on the Lottery's website on Tuesday morning and found out her $0.50 ticket won her a $2,500 prize.
"It's a good thing," she said of winning. "It's very special during these times." She said she'll put the prize money toward new tires for her car.
Winners who have not already visited a claim center to claim their prize will have 180 days from the draw date to do so. Players should also generally expect extended waiting times to complete the claims process at a regional office on Mondays and Tuesdays due to the large number of winners and additional COVID-19 safety procedures in place. The Lottery requires a Photo ID and proof of Social Security number in order to claim a prize. There is also a mail-in option for claiming winnings.
The N.C. Education Lottery holds two Pick 4 drawings a day, at 3:00 pm and 11:22 pm. Players have the option of picking their own numbers or selecting a Quick Pick, which allows the lottery terminal to randomly generate a set of four numbers for them.
WoW
I wonder which single person won the most on that day if they had multiples
Florida will never let that happen 5 million is the maximum. The cut off the tickets. CONGRATULATIONS NC!
Congrats to All the Winners and Posters of 9999!
"According to a press release by the N.C. Education Lottery, the odds of matching all four numbers in a Pick 4 drawing are 1 In 10,000."
I'm glad they cleared that up, because I'm sure it was a big secret up until now.
Wow! You learn something new every day here on LP.