About 4,000 retailers have filed applications by Friday's deadline to be guaranteed the chance to sell the first North Carolina Education Lottery tickets, projected to start at the end of next month.
The lottery office is working with ticket vendor GTECH Holdings Corp. to sell the first scratch-off tickets March 30. Retailers receive 7 percent of the amount of every ticket sold.
About 20 temporary employees are entering retailer data into a database to track the applications. Each application must undergo criminal background and credit checks as well as a review for outstanding tax bills before approval.
The lottery will continue to accept applications even after Friday's deadline, but there's no guarantee those retailers can offer tickets on opening day.