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 + 1/25)
Mega Millions draws Tuesday and Friday evenings. Pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 plus a Mega Ball from 1 to 25. The Megaplier multiplies non-jackpot prizes up to 5x. Jackpot odds are 1 in 302,575,350.
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.