State hits $3B in lottery sales

Raleigh, N.C. — Sales for the North Carolina Education Lottery were expected to top the $3 billion mark Thursday, marking only the fifth time a state lottery has passed that milestone within three years.

Lottery sales began on March 30, 2006.

“Hitting this sales record in under three years is a testimony to the people of North Carolina, who have supported the education lottery. It is also a testimony to the staff of the lottery and the lottery retailers across the state, who have been dedicated to making as much money for education in North Carolina as possible,” lottery director Tom Shaheen said in a statement.

The other state lotteries that recorded more than $3 billion in sales during their first three years are in Florida, California, Texas and Georgia, he said.

From it’s inception through Dec. 31, the North Carolina lottery has raised over $918 million for education.

The lottery will add a Carolina Pick 4 game this spring, which Shaheen said will round out the complement of games and signal a transition from start-up to mature lottery.