North Carolina Education Lottery
Encyclopedia
The North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) is run by the government of North Carolina
. It was established after Gov.
Mike Easley
signed the North Carolina State Lottery Act and the 2005 Appropriations Act.
The controversial lottery
proposal was approved on August 31, 2005, after then-Lt. Gov.
Bev Perdue
cast a tie-breaking vote in the North Carolina Senate
.
, traditionally associated with the Bible Belt
, was the only state on the East Coast
without a lottery. The issue divided lawmakers and the public alike. At the time, the opposition of nearly every Republican
and a minority of Democratic
lawmakers (consisting of progressive
s) made the passage of a lottery unlikely. These groups denounced the lottery as a regressive tax
on the poor. However, on August 30, 2005, two lottery opponents (Harry Brown, R-Jacksonville
and John Garwood, R-North Wilkesboro
) had excused absences. With this known, a special vote was called, which was 24-24. Lt. Gov. Perdue cast the tiebreaking vote, signaling the way for Gov. Easley to sign it into law. The vote would have been defeated had the absent senators paired
their votes.
Originally, North Carolina's scratch
tickets had an overall payout of 52%, the lowest among scratch tickets then available through US lotteries. While its $1 instant tickets continue to pay out at roughly this level, its newer $2-and-up games now have higher-percentage payouts.
The Lottery has continued to generate controversy among North Carolina constituents upset with teacher layoffs who believed the Lottery would have made up the difference.
There are no designated stations for the Florence/Myrtle Beach or Hampton Roads markets, both covering portions of North Carolina.
in Salisbury, North Carolina
, played Gameshow Gary, described as "that cheesy announcer", in TV commercials promoting the lottery.
The NCEL has also sold raffle tickets.
(MUSL), best known for Powerball
. Its jackpots currently start at $20 million; it is drawn Wednesday and Saturday nights.
consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions
and Powerball
in US lottery jurisdictions. The NCEL, already with Powerball, added Mega Millions
on January 31, 2010.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It was established after Gov.
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
Mike Easley
Mike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
signed the North Carolina State Lottery Act and the 2005 Appropriations Act.
The controversial lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
proposal was approved on August 31, 2005, after then-Lt. Gov.
Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
The Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the second highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government...
Bev Perdue
Bev Perdue
Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina....
cast a tie-breaking vote in the North Carolina Senate
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...
.
History
North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, traditionally associated with the Bible Belt
Bible Belt
Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the southeastern and south-central United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average.The...
, was the only state on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
without a lottery. The issue divided lawmakers and the public alike. At the time, the opposition of nearly every Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and a minority of Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
lawmakers (consisting of progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
s) made the passage of a lottery unlikely. These groups denounced the lottery as a regressive tax
Regressive tax
A regressive tax is a tax imposed in such a manner that the tax rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases. "Regressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from high to low, where the average tax rate exceeds the...
on the poor. However, on August 30, 2005, two lottery opponents (Harry Brown, R-Jacksonville
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Jacksonville, North Carolina, is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the population stood at 70,145, which makes Jacksonville the 14th largest city in North Carolina...
and John Garwood, R-North Wilkesboro
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was approximately 4,116 at the 2000 census and is now 4,245 as of the 2010 census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvement, which continues to have a major presence in...
) had excused absences. With this known, a special vote was called, which was 24-24. Lt. Gov. Perdue cast the tiebreaking vote, signaling the way for Gov. Easley to sign it into law. The vote would have been defeated had the absent senators paired
Pair (parliamentary convention)
Pairing is a system whereby two members of parliament from opposing political parties may agree to abstain where one member is unable to vote, due to other commitments, illness, travel problems, etc...
their votes.
"Education" Controversy
In February 2009, to reduce a budget shortfall, Gov. Perdue withheld approximately $88 million to fill shortfalls in the North Carolina budget. Perdue emptied the $50 million lottery reserve, also withholding $38 million allocated for a school construction budget in direct conflict with the mandate of the NCEL. This controversial move by the Governor prompted North Carolina lawmakers on March 10, 2009 to propose a name change to the NCEL, to remove "Education" from its name.Proceeds and payouts
- Seven percent is paid to retailers as commission.
- Fifty percent is paid as winnings to players.
- Eight percent is cost-of-sales.
- The remaining 35% goes to education proceeds, broken down as follows:
- Before any proceeds are paid, 5% of the proceeds (1.75% of the total) goes to the Education Lottery Reserve Fund to be used when lottery proceeds fall short. This fund may not exceed $United States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100 million. - Fifty percent of the remainder (16.625% of the total) goes towards the reduction of class sizesStudent-teacher ratioStudent-teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher...
. - Forty percent of the remainder (13.3% of the total) is used for school construction.
- Sixty-five percent of the above (8.645% of the total) is distributed based on school enrollment.
- The remaining 35% (4.655% of the total) is distributed to counties with effective property tax rates above North Carolina's average based on school enrollment.
- Ten percent of the remainder (3.325% of the total) are distributed for college scholarships, to be used with the federal Pell GrantPell GrantA Pell Grant is money the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree or who are not enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating...
.
- Before any proceeds are paid, 5% of the proceeds (1.75% of the total) goes to the Education Lottery Reserve Fund to be used when lottery proceeds fall short. This fund may not exceed $
Originally, North Carolina's scratch
Scratchcard
A scratchcard is a small card, often made of thin paper-based card for competitions and plastic to conceal PINs, where one or more areas contain concealed information which can...
tickets had an overall payout of 52%, the lowest among scratch tickets then available through US lotteries. While its $1 instant tickets continue to pay out at roughly this level, its newer $2-and-up games now have higher-percentage payouts.
The Lottery has continued to generate controversy among North Carolina constituents upset with teacher layoffs who believed the Lottery would have made up the difference.
Television
Live Lottery drawings are broadcast on these TV stations:- WRAL-TVWRAL-TVWRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
in Raleigh - WITN-TVWITN-TVWITN-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Eastern North Carolina's Inner Banks licensed to Washington. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter in Grifton along NC 118. The station can also be seen on Charter and Time Warner Cable channel 7 as...
in eastern North Carolina - WCNC-TVWCNC-TVWCNC-TV is the NBC affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22 and is carried on cable channel 6 on most area cable systems. It is owned by the Belo Corporation...
in Charlotte - WILM-LPWILM-LPWILM-LD is the low-powered CBS-affiliated television station for the Cape Fear area of Southeastern North Carolina. Licensed to Wilmington, it broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 40 from a transmitter in Delco. The station can also be seen on AMTC channel 10, Time Warner channel 12, and...
in Wilmington - WLOSWLOSWLOS is the ABC-affiliated television station for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina licensed to Asheville, North Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Mount Pisgah in North Carolina. The station can also be seen on Charter...
in Asheville (2011-) - WXLV-TVWXLV-TVWXLV-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina that is licensed to Winston-Salem. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in Randleman along I-73/U.S. 220...
in Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point
There are no designated stations for the Florence/Myrtle Beach or Hampton Roads markets, both covering portions of North Carolina.
- WYCWWYCWWYCW is the CW-affiliated television station for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina licensed to Asheville, North Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 45 from a transmitter on Pinnacle Mountain Road, south of Green River Township's Jeter Mountain...
in Asheville showed the lottery results from 2006-2011. The drawings were moved to WLOSWLOSWLOS is the ABC-affiliated television station for Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina licensed to Asheville, North Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Mount Pisgah in North Carolina. The station can also be seen on Charter...
on March 28, 2011.
Promotion
Brian Lafontaine, a 1992 graduate of Catawba CollegeCatawba College
Catawba College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in Salisbury, North Carolina, USA. Founded in 1851 by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in Newton, the college adopted its name from its county of origin, Catawba County, before moving to its current home of Salisbury...
in Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in Rowan County in North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census . It is the county seat of Rowan County...
, played Gameshow Gary, described as "that cheesy announcer", in TV commercials promoting the lottery.
Available games
- Scratch-off tickets (began March 30, 2006)
- PowerballPowerballPowerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
(began via NCEL May 31, 2006) - Mega MillionsMega MillionsMega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 , Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments , increasing when there is no jackpot winner...
(via NCEL January 31, 2010) - Carolina Pick 3 (October 6, 2006)
- Carolina Cash 5Fantasy 5The following is a list of lottery games in the United States and Canada in which five regular numbers are drawn from a larger set of numbers. The list includes the name, the number field for each, and the frequency of drawings. All pick-5 games in the U.S...
(October 27, 2006) - Carolina Pick 4 (April 17, 2009)
The NCEL has also sold raffle tickets.
Carolina Pick 3
Since February 27, 2011, Carolina Pick 3 is drawn twice daily (prior to that date, it was drawn twice daily Monday thru Saturday, and once daily [evening draw] on Sundays). It draws 3 balls, one each from three sets of 10 balls numbered 0 through 9. Players can wager either $0.50 or $1.00, and can choose to bet that the balls drawn will (a) be in the exact order printed on their ticket ("Exact"), or (b) in any permutation of the number printed on their ticket ("Any"). Other options include "50/50", which is a $1.00 wager consisting of a combination of a $0.50 "Exact" wager with a $0.50 "Any" wager (thus not increasing the player's chances of winning versus a standard "Any" wager, but rather increasing the payout received if the order on their ticket matches the order the balls are drawn). The fourth and final way to play is "Combo", which gives the player a $1.00 "Exact" wager for every permutation of the three-digit number they choose to play (thus potentially costing up to $6.00 for a single ticket). The maximum possible payout for a single ticket for a single draw is $500 (wager must be $1, order must be bet "Exact" or "Combo", and balls drawn must match number and order played; odds of such a win are 1:1,000).Carolina Pick 4
Since February 27, 2011, Carolina Pick 4 is drawn twice daily (prior to that date, it was drawn once nightly). Otherwise, it is similar to Carolina Pick 3, save for having four numbers instead of three. Players can wager either $0.50 or $1.00, and can choose to bet that the balls drawn will (a) be in the exact order printed on their ticket ("Exact"), or (b) in any permutation of the number printed on their ticket ("Any"). Other options include "50/50", which is a $1.00 wager consisting of a combination of a $0.50 "Exact" wager with a $0.50 "Any" wager (thus not increasing the player's chances of winning versus a standard "Any" wager, but rather increasing the payout received if the order on their ticket matches the order the balls are drawn). The fourth and final way to play is "Combo", which gives the player a $1.00 "Exact" wager for every permutation of the four-digit number they choose to play (thus potentially costing up to $24.00 for a single ticket). The maximum possible payout for a single ticket for a single draw is $5,000 (wager must be $1, order must be bet "Exact" or "Combo", and balls drawn must match number and order played; odds of such a win are 1:10,000).Carolina Cash 5
Carolina Cash 5 is drawn nightly. It draws 5 numbers from 1 through 39. Jackpots begin at $50,000, growing until there is a 5-of-5 winner. Games cost $1 each. Overall odds of winning: 1 in 9; odds of winning the top prize: 1 in 575,757. The payout for matching 2 of 5 numbers is $1; the other prizes are parimutuel.Powerball (multi-lottery game)
Since October 6, 2006, the NCEL has been a member of the Multi-State Lottery AssociationMulti-State Lottery Association
The Multi-State Lottery Association is a non-profit, government-benefit association owned and operated by agreement of its 33 member lotteries MUSL was created to facilitate the operation of multi-jurisdictional lottery games, including Powerball, Mega Millions), video lottery, and instant ...
(MUSL), best known for Powerball
Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
. Its jackpots currently start at $20 million; it is drawn Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Mega Millions (multi-lottery game)
On October 13, 2009, the Mega MillionsMega Millions
Mega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 , Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments , increasing when there is no jackpot winner...
consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 , Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments , increasing when there is no jackpot winner...
and Powerball
Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
in US lottery jurisdictions. The NCEL, already with Powerball, added Mega Millions
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 , Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments , increasing when there is no jackpot winner...
on January 31, 2010.
Further sources
- "Lottery Opponenets Outmaneuvered". Legislation Information Network. 31 August 2005. Accessed 4 June 2006.
- Mouskourie, Diane. "The Wrong Number?". The Daily News (Jacksonville, NC). 7 May 2006. Accessed 4 June 2006.