North Carolina Powerball Rules
You must be at least 18 years old to play NC Powerball. You just need to fill out a playslip and make sure you purchase your ticket before the deadline of 9:59pm Eastern Time. Enter the same numbers for up to 26 consecutive draws by marking the appropriate box on your playslip. If you want to play a Quick Pick, just ask the retailer or mark the ‘QP’ box on your playslip, and a random set of numbers will be produced by the computer.
If you win a prize of more than $5,000 in North Carolina, it will be subject to state tax at a rate of 5.75 percent, in addition to federal taxes.
You can watch drawings on the following stations, depending on where you are in the state:
| City | Station | Affiliate | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | WLOS | IND | 13 |
| Charlotte | WAXN | FOX | 64 |
| Greensboro | WGHP | NBC | 8 |
| Greenville | WITN | NBC | 7 |
| Raleigh | WRAL | FOX | 5 |
How to Claim prizes
There is a 180-day limit for claiming prizes in North Carolina. You can collect your money from any retailer if you win an award up to $599, but for amounts ranging from $600 to $99,999.99 you need to go to a regional claim office, the North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters, or send a claim form by mail.
All prizes of $100,000 or more must be claimed in person from the lottery’s headquarters in Raleigh. To claim your prize, you will need to provide photographic identification and proof of your social security number, along with your winning ticket. The location of the North Carolina Lottery headquarters is as follows:
2728 Capital Blvd #144,
Raleigh, NC 27604
Telephone: (919) 715-6886
If you are claiming your prize by mail, send the required documents to the following address:
North Carolina Lottery HQ
P.O. Box 41606
Raleigh, NC 27629-1606
The addresses for the regional offices are as follows. They are open Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern Time.
| Location | Address | Telephone Number: |
|---|---|---|
| Asheville | 16-G Regent Park Blvd. Asheville, NC 28806 | 828-251-6223 |
| Charlotte | 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28269 | 704-523-4898 |
| Greensboro | 20A Oak Branch Drive Greensboro, NC 27407 | 336-218-5724 |
| Greenville | 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A Greenville, NC 27834 | 252-756-7992 |
| Raleigh | 2728 Capital Blvd #144, Raleigh, NC 27604 | 919-301-3637 |
| Wilmington | 123 North Cardinal Extension Drive, Suite 140 Wilmington, NC 28405 | 910-350-2000 |
Lost and Damaged Tickets
If you lose a winning Powerball ticket, there is a chance that someone else could find it and cash it in unless you have signed the back of it. North Carolina Education Lottery rules also state that a ticket must be intact and in no way ‘mutilated, altered, reconstituted or tampered with’ in any manner. If the ticket has been sufficiently damaged that all the necessary data is not present, you will not be able to claim your prize.
Going Public
State law dictates that your name, city and county of residence must be made available to the public if you win a large prize, unless you can produce a valid protective order or Address Confidentiality Program authorization card.
Where Does the Money Go?
The state lottery was established to help the education system in North Carolina, with a promise that 100 percent of the profits would go towards supporting programs identified by the legislature. Hundreds of millions of dollars are returned to education each year, allowing schools to upgrade important facilities and also boost teaching standards throughout the state.
Out of every dollar spent on Powerball tickets in North Carolina, $0.63 is returned to players as prize money, while $0.26 goes towards education. Retailers receive $0.07, while $0.03 is used to cover administrative expenses and $0.01 is used to advertise lottery games in the state.
North Carolina Powerball Winners
Charles W. Jackson, a grandfather from Cumberland County, became the state’s biggest Powerball winner when he landed $344 million on June 1, 2019. He had played the same numbers in every Powerball and Mega Millions draw for more than two years, and his persistence paid off with a ticket bought at Carlie C’s IGA on North Main Street in Hope Mills. He said he would donate lots of money to good causes and would not let it change him. He said: “Put it this way, I will still wear jeans. But I will probably buy some new ones!”
Marie Holmes from Shallotte in North Carolina won a third of one of the largest Powerball jackpots in history when she matched the full winning line to claim a share of the $564 million jackpot on February 11, 2015. A single mother, Marie insisted that her main priority was to use the money to support her four children, one of which had cerebral palsy. She hoped to spread the word about the condition, as well as give some of her winnings to religious and charitable organizations.
