5 NC lottery players just missed jackpots — but still won big. Where were tickets sold?

Simone Jasper
·3 min read

Five lottery players just missed jackpot prizes — but still won big in North Carolina.

Four of the players’ lucky tickets matched all but one number picked in the Powerball drawing Saturday, March 23. Since two of those winners paid an extra dollar for the Power Play option, their prizes doubled from $50,000 to 100,000, according to drawing results and an N.C. Education Lottery news release.

The numbers picked in the drawing were white balls 6-23-25-34-51, with red Powerball number 3. Here’s where the winning tickets were sold:

  • Through the Online Play option in Concord ($50,000)

  • Sheetz on Raven Road in Winston-Salem ($50,000)

  • Freddy Tobacco Mart on Raeford Road in Fayetteville ($100,000)

  • Lowes Foods on Peters Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem ($100,000)

Meanwhile, one person won $10,000 in the Mega Millions game after buying a ticket that matched nearly all the numbers picked in the March 22 drawing. That lucky ticket came from the Hasty Mart in Louisburg, a roughly 30-mile drive northeast from Raleigh.

The numbers picked in the Mega Millions drawing: white balls 3-8-31-35-44, with gold Mega Ball number 16.

Each of the North Carolina ticket holders was one number away from scoring an even larger prize. The nights of their respective drawings, the Mega Millions jackpot was an estimated $977 million, while the Powerball jackpot stood at roughly $758 million, results show.

Just after 2 p.m. March 25, a lottery spokesperson told McClatchy News via email that no one had come forward to claim the $100,000 prizes. Winners have about six months to cash in, according to lottery rules.

What to know about Powerball

To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What to know about Mega Millions

To score a jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball.

The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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