North Carolina Education Lottery Draw Games
The North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) offers six draw games ranging from daily digit games to multi-state jackpots. Whether you prefer the quick action of Pick 3 or the massive prizes of Powerball, there is a game for every style of play. All proceeds support education programs across the state.
Pick 3 (3 digits, 0-9)
Pick 3 lets you choose three digits from 0 to 9. Drawings are held twice daily: midday at 3:00 PM ET and evening at 11:22 PM ET. Play types include Exact Order (straight), Any Order (box), 50/50 (combo), and Front/Back Pair. A $1 straight bet pays $500. With two draws per day, Pick 3 generates excellent data for frequency and pattern analysis.
Pick 4 (4 digits, 0-9)
Pick 4 works the same way as Pick 3 but with four digits. Midday draws at 3:00 PM ET and evening draws at 11:22 PM ET. A $1 straight bet pays $5,000. The extra digit adds more combinations and richer data for tracking hot and cold digits across draw times.
Cash 5 (5/43)
Cash 5 is North Carolina's in-state lotto game. Pick 5 numbers from 1 to 43 with drawings nightly at 11:22 PM ET. The top prize starts at $100,000 and rolls over when not won. Overall odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 11. Cash 5 offers the best jackpot odds of any NC lotto-style game at roughly 1 in 962,598.
Lucky for Life (5/48 + 1/18)
Lucky for Life draws 5 numbers from 1 to 48 plus a Lucky Ball from 1 to 18. Drawings are Monday and Thursday evenings. The top prize is $1,000 a day for life, and the second prize is $25,000 a year for life. Jackpot odds are 1 in 30,821,472. Both lifetime prizes are annuity-only with no lump-sum option.
Powerball (5/69 + 1/26)
Powerball draws Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings. Pick 5 numbers from 1 to 69 plus a Powerball from 1 to 26. The Power Play multiplier can boost non-jackpot prizes up to 10x. Jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338. North Carolina applies state income tax on prizes, so winners should plan accordingly.
Mega Millions (5/70 + 1/24)
Mega Millions draws Tuesday and Friday evenings. Pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 plus a Mega Ball from 1 to 24. Every Mega Millions ticket now includes a built-in random multiplier of 2x to 10x that boosts non-jackpot prizes at no extra cost. Jackpot odds are 1 in 290,472,336.
Which NC Game Should You Play?
For daily play and pattern tracking, Pick 3 and Pick 4 offer two draws per day. For the best in-state jackpot odds, Cash 5 is the clear choice. For lifetime income, Lucky for Life pays out for life. For the biggest jackpots, Powerball and Mega Millions deliver. Use our Frequency Analysis and Hot & Cold Numbers tools on the North Carolina lottery dashboard to explore patterns across all games.
DrawAnalytics is an informational service. We do not sell predictions or guarantee outcomes. Lottery drawings are random — past results do not predict future drawings. Play responsibly. 1-800-GAMBLER.