NC Lottery Creates More Ways to Gamble

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NC Lottery Creates More Ways to Gamble

Special Report - March 26, 2008
On March 17, state lottery officials announced the addition of a new mid-day drawing of the “Carolina Pick 3” game. North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) officials trumpeted the additional drawing in a press release, stating that “players will now have double the chances to play and double the chances to win.” The new drawing, which will occur at 3:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, will begin March 31. According to the NCEL, “Carolina Pick 3 is a 3-digit numbers game where the player chooses a 3-digit number between 000 and 999” where the “top prize is $500 for all players who match all three numbers in exact order drawn.” NCEA Executive Director Tom Shaheen said in a press release that the new drawing was launched in response to the game’s popularity. “Players have been asking us to add another drawing so we expect it to be good for sales,” Shaheen said. “Increased sales should mean more money for education and that is our ultimate goal.”

“The new drawing is yet another attempt by lottery officials to improve ticket sales by offering more options to gamblers,” North Carolina Family Policy Council president, Bill Brooks, said in response to the announcement. “The North Carolina Lottery is following the same predictable pattern as lottery officials in other states around the country. When gamblers become bored and ticket sales lag, the State must create ‘new’ ways to entice players to gamble away their hard-earned money.”