RALEIGH, N.C. — (March 30) Despite challenges concerning its legality, the North Carolina's Education lottery launched March 30, making North Carolina the last state on the East Coast to have a lottery.
Sales on the first day reached an estimated $8 million in scratch-off tickets.
Two months later, the state joined 28 others when the Powerball debuted with more than $2.5 million is sales. Two other numbers games -- Carolina Pick 3 and the Carolina Cash 5 -- launched in October.
Despite raising about $145 million for education programs during its first 10 months, sales were running far below state projections by mid-December.
At least 35 percent of net revenues from the North Carolina Education Lottery must be used for initiatives such as class-size reduction, preschool programs, school construction and college scholarships for needy students.
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