Exclusive preview of players' Lucke Rewards program

September 3, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 8:00 AM

Instant tickets in North Carolina will never be the same again. With the Lucke Rewards program starting Oct. 1, non-winning instant tickets can be entered in the Lucke Zone for reward points. Players can then choose to enter the points they accumulate into weekly or monthly drawings for cash and other prizes.

Only instant tickets will be eligible at launch, but plans are in place to expand the program to allow points to be earned on draw game tickets as well. The program is designed to give players more value through extended play and more chances to win – at no additional cost.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can earn Lucke Rewards:

Tickets are entered online here in the Lucke Zone, the same way as for second-chance drawings.
If a second-chance drawing is part of an instant game, the ticket only needs to be entered once to get both reward points and entry into the second chance drawing.
Once a ticket has been successfully entered into the Lucke Zone, the physical ticket does not need to be kept anymore.

How many reward points a ticket is worth varies, and is assigned to the ticket at random based on the price of the ticket. Here’s a breakdown of how many reward points tickets will be worth when the program begins:

$1 tickets are worth between 1 and 10 reward points
$2 tickets are worth between 2 and 20 reward points
$3 tickets are worth between 3 and 30 reward points
$5 tickets are worth between 5 and 50 reward points
$10 tickets are worth between 10 and 100 reward points
$20 tickets are worth between 20 and 200 reward points

You will be able to see how many total reward points you’ve earned when you’re logged into your Lucke Zone account. Then you get to choose which drawings you want to enter. More details about upcoming drawings will be posted here in the Lucke Zone before the program launches.

The start date of the Lucke Rewards program was officially announced on Aug. 1. Players can start saving their non-winning tickets now to enter them when Lucke Rewards begins on Oct. 1.

69 COMMENTS

10/01/2012 11:45 - Tiffany A. S.

OCTOBER 1st and can't play because it is not there! Very Disapointing!

10/01/2012 01:17 - SANDON E.

well today is the day ill be a couple hours entering all my old scrathers

9/26/2012 11:53 - NC Lottery

@ HENRY - We just posted a new blog about it today :-)

9/25/2012 06:10 - Henry B.

We have six days left before Oct 1 and the start of the Lucke Rewards program. When are you planning to post info on Lucke Zone about the types of prizes to be won and how the drawings will work.

9/15/2012 10:38 - Andrea S.

Cant wait! Been collecting them and saving them in a shoebox and it is full,guess I will have to start stashing someplace new..lol. I think this is a great idea,and it is nice that your "losers" may end up being "winners" afterall!

9/12/2012 02:19 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER (K) - Prizes for matching 3 or 4 numbers playing Carolina Cash 5 always depend on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners. More players, fewer winners = bigger prizes. Fewer players, more winners = smaller prizes.

9/12/2012 02:05 - NC Lottery

@ SANDON - All games at a particular price have the same potential for reward points. So, for example, all $5 games could be worth between 5 and 50 reward points. Which game its for is not a factor. A player will only know how many reward points the ticket is worth when its entered in the Lucke Zone.

9/12/2012 04:53 - SANDON E.

gotcha and will their be a list of the scratchers worth in points that we can see to see which ones are worth more or just wait till we enter them.

9/10/2012 02:20 - kelly s.

i have a question,how you detemine the amount with cash 5m for example you have 4 of no's sometime,s the amount is more one drawing maybe less the next.

9/10/2012 09:01 - NC Lottery

@ SANDON - See our comment above

9/10/2012 08:51 - NC Lottery

@ SANDON - Not exactly... any $2 scratch-off is worth BETWEEN 2 and 20 points and any $5 scratch-off is worth between 5 and 50 points. Nobody knows how many reward points the ticket is worth until its entered in the Lucke Zone.

9/09/2012 08:30 - SANDON E.

so a ANY $5 SCRATCHER IS WORTH 50 POINTS AND ANY $2 SCRATCHER IS WORTH 20 POINTS IS THAT CORRECT

9/09/2012 06:52 - SANDON E.

so they will all be what their worth in price $1=10 points $2=20 points and so on right. and im very excited and cant wait for it to start

9/08/2012 11:18 - NC Lottery

@ SANDON - Exactly... the possible point value range is the same for all $1 tickets.

9/08/2012 03:34 - SANDON E.

so would a $ 1.00 -500 a week for life scratcher be worth as the same amount of points as say $ 1.00 QUICKS BUCKS IN POINTS

9/07/2012 02:01 - SANDON E.

CAN'T WAIT I BEEN SAVING AND FINDING THEM EVERYWHERE I GO AND ALWAYS LOOKING

9/06/2012 07:50 - susan s.

dont know

9/06/2012 12:07 - NC Lottery

@ EARL2212 - We're on the same page. Any ticket for any $1 game could be worth between 1 and 10 points. This doesn't vary by game, just by ticket price. Hope that helps :-)

9/06/2012 12:03 - NC Lottery

@ HENRY - What we said and what you said are both true. We said you don't *need* to keep the ticket anymore, because you don't for the purposes of reward points or legal obligation. Your advice, however, is something any individual lottery player might want to consider as far as deducting gaming losses on their taxes. Here at the lottery, we don't work in the industries of taxes or finance so we would recommend anyone who wants to do that get some expert advice from someone who is.

9/06/2012 12:01 - NC Lottery

@ COOLDADMARK - You can read hundreds of stories about North Carolina Education Lottery winners of $100,000 or more on our website: http://bit.ly/HbkZrz ..... also, keep in mind we've have five multimillion dollar jackpot winners of $74.5 million to $141.4 million since the lottery began in 2006

9/06/2012 11:59 - NC Lottery

@ SANDON - How old a non-winning ticket is doesn't have any effect on how many reward points its worth. It just has to be for a game that is still active on Oct. 1 in order to be entered for reward points.

9/06/2012 11:58 - NC Lottery

@ 1ROCK2KING - This was just a preview. More information will be coming your way :-)

9/06/2012 10:18 - Roger K.

what are the prizes that you can win?

9/06/2012 03:47 - SANDON E.

would newer tickets be worth more points than say one that been out for a couple months and im very happy about this also so many people throw them away where i live so ill be entering all that i find

9/05/2012 05:02 - Mark V.

I don't believe anyone ever wins big money, not in this state.. big winners are always in other states.

9/05/2012 04:53 - Henry B.

Per your instructions on entering a ticket(s) you stated the following; "Once a ticket has been successfully entered into the Lucke Zone, the physical ticket does not need to be kept anymore." This could prove to be bad advice if an individual would hit the Lottery and be required to pay federal tax on their winnings. In this case they would need all non-winning tickets for proof of gambling lost in order to deduct the lost on their federal income tax return. All NC Ed. Lottery players should always keep their non-winning tickets during a tax year.

9/05/2012 04:40 - shirley m.

I play the lottery all the time, I never have won big mabe this will give me a second chance to win. I can't wait to enter my tickets.

9/05/2012 03:40 - Lynn Q.

SCORPIONKING - Do you win Pick 3 often? How do you select your numbers? If you have a special technique that works for picking winning numbers then could you share it with all the players? I've been playing Pick 3 for 2 years, five days a week and have only had one $80 win. Sometimes, I play as many as 40 numbers a day and still don't hit it. Please help Mr. King, we all would like to win!

9/05/2012 03:05 - m. earl b.

why are the tickets worth "between"? is it not according to the price of the tickets or is the value placed on the game that you buy within that price range. are buck tickets worth more then non-buck tickets? it seems like one price for each group one set of points. what's up!!

9/05/2012 10:44 - Herman S.

Welcome to Royalty to all players of the North Carolina Lottery. The KING is going after Triple 222 & 333 for the month of Septemebr 2012. My back-up plan is 231 & 721 combo. I'll enjoy my RICHES once again given to me by the NC lottery.

9/05/2012 09:42 - NC Lottery

@ DLCOCKRELL - There won't be a limit on how many points you can earn. But lots of specific details on how the program works will be coming your way. We just wanted to give our current Lucke Zome members an exclusive preview of some of the features :-)

9/05/2012 09:40 - NC Lottery

@ HENRY - Sometime before the Lucke Rewards program starts on Oct. 1, we will share more info with everyone here in a Lucke Zone blog about how drawings will work.

9/05/2012 09:38 - NC Lottery

@ HENRY - The number of Lucke Reward points a ticket is worth is randomly assigned to a non-winning ticket when it is created. Reward points are not equal to a dollar amount, so think of a $1 ticket as being worth between 1 and 10 points, not $1 and $10. But, yes, one $5 ticket could be worth 5 points and the next one you enter be worth 50 points.

9/05/2012 09:35 - NC Lottery

@ JCC409 - Think of it this way: By entering the ticket here in the Lucke Zone, you're "exchanging" it for the points. So the ticket isn't needed anymore. Then, as for the drawings... you can choose to either use points you've earned to enter a specific drawing, or save the points for a future drawing. But once you use points to enter a drawing, they're only good for that drawing. Does that make sense?

9/05/2012 09:33 - NC Lottery

@ MEMAW62 - You can scratch & save any tickets you have now and then enter them when the program starts on Oct. 1

9/04/2012 11:51 - Tiffany A. S.

We could not afford the Beach this year but cant wait for Oct 1st! gives us something to look forward to! Thank-you!!! Great Idea!

9/04/2012 10:20 - Linda L.

Can I scratch the bottom of ticket off now or do I have to wait till Oct. 01; I have a big stack!

9/04/2012 10:08 - YVONNE G.

I know I will win. I have been collecting a lot of tickets. Good luck everybody. Yvonne Galloway

9/04/2012 08:57 - john c.

If I enter a non winning ticket and choose a specific type drawing, does the ticket expire after the drawing is held, or will it be eligible for a future drawing?

9/04/2012 08:43 - Henry B.

I'm confused on how the worth of ticket reward points will be determined. Example: A $5 ticket can be worth between $5 and $50 reward points. How will this be calculated? Are you saying; if I enter one $5 ticket it might be given the value of 50 reward points and if I enter ten $5 tickets ($50 value) it might only be given 5 reward points.

9/04/2012 08:26 - Henry B.

When will you outline and post the number and type of prizes that will be offered at each drawing.

9/04/2012 07:44 - michael n.

cant win at any game so far maybe give this a try cant win if you dont play huh!

9/04/2012 06:47 - Andy C.

Will there be a ticket or point limit?

9/04/2012 03:41 - NC Lottery

@ SUSAN - Glad to hear the Beach Patrol visit is still bringing you some fun this summer! :-)

9/04/2012 03:23 - Susan M.

I am looking forward to this new addition to ways players can win prizes. Also, thank you to the Beach Patrol team for making our visits to the beach even more special. We are enjoying the Food Lion gift cards we won at those events.

9/04/2012 01:34 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER - You can enter your tickets here in the Lucke Zone after the program starts on Oct. 1

9/04/2012 12:34 - shirley m.

Were do i enter my tickets..

9/04/2012 11:28 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER - You are correct that a ticket does not need to have a Lucke Rewards symbol on it in order for it to be entered for reward points. The non-winning ticket just has to be for a game that is active on Oct. 1, which includes all games being played today.

9/04/2012 11:25 - Heather T.

Does this mean mega bucks extreme green and the other tickets are eligible even if the lucke zone rewards symbol isn't on the back?? I have a ton of non winners I have accumulated and saved.

9/04/2012 11:21 - NC Lottery

@ DOUGHGIRL - please see our responses to other players

9/04/2012 11:20 - NC Lottery

@ KEITH - The Lucke Zone will automatically accept all your tickets that are eligible for reward points. In order to get reward points, the tickets have to be for a game that is active on Oct. 1, meaning that prizes can still be claimed on winning tickets for the game. That includes all games being played right now.

9/04/2012 11:19 - NC Lottery

@ BURGAWMAN - Everything you do to earn Lucke Rewards will happen here in the Lucke Zone starting Oct. 1 - don't worry, this is just a preview :-)

9/04/2012 11:16 - NC Lottery

@ MISSV - All the tickets you're talking about can be entered for reward points :-) The game just has to be active on Oct. 1 in order for the non-winning ticket to be eligible

9/04/2012 11:11 - NC Lottery

@ MIMI45 - Yes, exactly... ALL non-winning instant tickets can be entered for Lucke Rewards points. For a game that has a specific second-chance drawing, it only needs to be entered one time and it will automatically give you reward points AND entry into that game's second-chance drawing. Cool, huh? :-)

9/04/2012 11:08 - NC Lottery

@ PLAYER - Yes, non-winning tickets for all instant games being played today can be entered once the program starts on Oct. 1! :-)

9/04/2012 10:49 - richard m.

Are all instant ticket games currently being sold eligible? How about tickets purchased before Aug.1?

9/04/2012 10:38 - marriette b.

does this mean any ticket that you dont win off even if its not a second chance tickets

9/04/2012 07:31 - kathleen g.

This is great. I have a lot more nonwinning tickets than winners. I really like the second chance drawing tickets because I have actually won twice on them and I got some really nice prizes. If someone like me can win anybody can.

9/04/2012 01:10 - Linda L.

This sounds exciting- I am anxious to get started.

9/04/2012 12:53 - Teresa T.

I am so happy for the chance to win on my non-winning scratch-off tickets....Can't wait for Oct. 1 to start entering for the drawings! Thank you NCEL!!!

9/03/2012 11:36 - Gloris J.

Sounds like a great idea! I'm looking forward to participating.

9/03/2012 11:22 - Candy W.

This is great!

9/03/2012 03:52 - Daniel M.

Thanks sounds like a great way to win some money. I save all my tickets I buy, how far back can we use nonwinning tickets?

9/03/2012 03:13 - Catherine A.

How far back can you go with non-winning tickets to submit for a drawing.

9/03/2012 03:01 - Timothy M.

wow..luv it!

9/03/2012 02:00 - Keith I.

I have been saving tickets for awhile, I have tried to keep them seperate,will the lucky Zone know which are eligble and which are not eligble for entry ,I do not want to enter any that are not eligble,and be disqualified??

9/03/2012 10:19 - Willis E. S.

where and how do I enter the numbers?

9/03/2012 10:08 - IRIS L.

I like this alternative. It is like an incentive for purchasing more instant scratch-off games. Later, to include draw game tickets, might be rewarding for non winners. I am ready to see if I am a "winner"!

9/03/2012 08:42 - Victoria W.

They are saying the start date was officially announced on Aug 1st. Does that mean I should have started saving my non-winning tickets starting Aug 1st or start saving them now? As soon as I read about the program(in August) I started saving my non-winning tickets. Does it matter how long you had non-winning tickets?

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Exclusive preview of players' Lucke Rewards program

September 3, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 8:00 AM

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