North Carolina joins other states in adding Cash Pop

Includes video report

By Kate Northrop

The North Carolina Lottery announced the launch of its new Cash Pop draw game, set to debut this weekend following weeks of extensive game testing.

As Cash Pop continues to gain popularity nationwide, the North Carolina Lottery is the latest to add it to its lineup.

Starting Sunday, Nov. 17, players will be able to "pop" into a retailer to try out Cash Pop, the latest draw game introduced by the North Carolina Lottery since 2020.

"We saw the fun that lottery players in other states were having with Cash Pop and thought players in North Carolina would enjoy it too," Lottery Communications Director Van Denton told Lottery Post. "We launched our last draw game — Fast Play — four years ago so it is exciting to have a unique new draw game to add to our portfolio. Players will love the chance to win a prize by matching only one number. Cash Pop has been on our road map for a while, and we have been waiting for the right time to add it to the portfolio."

North Carolina Lottery's Cash Pop game will operate similarly to other state's variations of the game in that it offers several wagers for different possible prize amounts.

In North Carolina's Cash Pop, players pick a wager ranging from $1, $2, $5, to $10 per number played, also called a "POP."

Players then select one or more "POPs" between 1 and 15, up to 15 "POPs" per ticket. Once the ticket is purchased, a prize amount ranging from $5 to $2,500 is randomly printed underneath each "POP," with a minimum prize of 5X the amount played. Should the player's selected "POP(s)" match the ones printed on the ticket, they will win the corresponding prize.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 15, while the odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 15,000.

"What's fun and unique about Cash Pop is you only have to match one number in a drawing to win," Lottery CEO Mark Michalko said in a press release. "We believe lottery players will love how easy this game is to play."

Before launching a new game, the Lottery evaluates it in their test lab in Raleigh to locate and find any potential errors in the purchasing process, ensure that tickets print correctly, and confirm that machines won't break down. Even before the public has access to the game, the lab analysts get to have the bragging rights (and responsibility) of being the first to play it.

"Any issues that might occur — we try to catch them before they make it to the player," Lottery Quality Assurance Analyst Fabian Onate said in a video featuring the lab.

The quality assurance team has been testing the game for about three weeks and feels optimistic about the game's expected performance once it is finally released.

"It's pretty cool, it is a lot of fun," Lottery Quality Assurance Analyst Katherine Silverio said. "I think it is going to do very well with the players. I think we are going to get a lot of winners, and I think it is going to be a lot of fun for everyone."

Cash Pop drawings will take place five times a day according to the following schedule:

• 9:00 a.m. — Morning Buzz
• 1:00 p.m. — Lunch Rush
• 5:00 p.m. — Clock Out Cash
• 8:00 p.m. — Primetime POP
• 11:59 p.m. — Midnight Money

Before North Carolina, Maryland was the latest state to add its own version of the game in May.

Other states with their own version of Cash Pop include Mayland, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Georgia. (In West Virginia, Kentucky, and New Jersey, the game is offered in a "Quick Draw" format in which drawings occur every few minutes).

The drawings are conducted using a digital draw system (computerized random number generator), the Lottery communicated to Lottery Post.

Players may buy a ticket for up to five consecutive drawings on the same purchase.

All Cash Pop winning numbers, prizes, and odds can be found on Lottery Post's North Carolina Lottery Results page right after each drawing.

VIDEO: Watch the lottery testing procedures

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