How many prizes of $1 million or more in a year?

July 14, 2016 Posted by NC Lottery at 4:00 PM

So the question is right there in the headline: Over the course of one year, just how many times did we award a prize of $1 million or more here at lottery headquarters?

Ask a friend or someone in line next to you at the grocery store. Chances are their best guess will be less than the actual number.

Fifty-eight. That includes 13 prizes worth more than $1 million - and, tops among those - two top prizes of $10 million in the Ultimate Millions game. Dale and Robin Summey of Lexington were the first to win an instant prize of $10 million in North Carolina.

“It feels wonderful,” Dale said as he collected his winnings in September 2015. “But it is still hard to believe. It is. It’s wonderful, and it’s a blessing.”

The record number of major wins came in an overall record year for the lottery, which ended the fiscal year on June 30. The popularity of our games meant an average of $4.1 million in prizes won each day. That fun added up to more than $600 million for education.

We know this is only possible because of players and retailers in every county. We're looking forward to having more winners and raising more money for a good cause this year.

36 COMMENTS

7/22/2016 07:01 - William A.

Do you think your players are ignorant. The best cd rate I could find is 1.5% and that's only 890,000 dollars at the end of 20 years. The average savings account is only paying .12 percent that's only $630,000 after 20 years per Bizrate.com. You could put it in the stock market or Mutual funds but you could also put it on one hand of Blackjack in Vegas. I'm saying the state should renegotiate our annuity rates! Other states pay $700,000to $750,000 on cash options. I'm sure some states pay less. It could be solved with a taxes paid 1,000,000 dollar ticket.

7/20/2016 04:47 - William A.

There is no way and I mean NO way you can earn 400K in interest on a 600,000 dollar prize by putting the money in the bank! The interest rates at the bank are less than 1% even at a 20 year annuity you can't get there.Maybe a 200 year annuity. It should be stated on the front of the ticket 600K guaranteed or a 1 million dollar annuity paid over 20 years not hid on the back in small print.NC Lottery
If you don't want to take our word for it, you're welcome to talk to someone at a bank about how much interest a $600,000 principle could earn over the course of 20 years. The annuity prize information is in the How to Play info in stores and on our website.

7/17/2016 05:35 - shironzo m.

Like who is gonna put a whole 600k in the bank and just let it draw 400k in intrest!! No matter what that person win a million they deserve every penny!! Like they said yall taking 400k off top!! ThT person never sees that money!! There is nothing u can say too get around that!! What does intrest have to do with a person getting only 600k out of a million dollar with!! If u take it over time u still wont get a whole million!! U guys are the real crooks!!smh!!NC Lottery
That's how annuities work. If someone claims the annuity, the lottery invests the $600,000 and makes 20 payments of $50,000 to the winner over 20 years for a total of $1 million. All lottery prizes are subject to required taxes. Here's more info: http://bit.ly/29UwZma

7/17/2016 01:02 - Elon I.

When scanning purchased tickets in the Lucke-Zone app for the points, it used to be faster and without error (invalid barcode). Since CASH 5 slips changed, it has become very annoying when scanning (CASH 5) for points. It does not scan as used to be and always reads bottom wrong bar code despite scanning the "Lucke-Reward Entry bar code." Can you please advise.NC Lottery
Sorry to hear that you have had this experience. Would you please click on the HELP link at the top of the screen to fill out an ONLINE SUPPORT form so that technical customer service is aware and could follow up with you. We will also forward your comment in case the program managers have heard of other reports of this issue.

7/17/2016 08:05 - NC Lottery

RE: $1 Million Annuity vs. $600,000 Cash Option. You have to think of it the same way as the Powerball jackpot. You can either take the annuity that is paid out over time, or the lump sum right now. The lottery doesn't "take $400,000 off the top" - that is the money that would be earned on interest by putting the $600,000 lump sum in the bank. It's up to the winner which way they'd like to claim the prize.

7/16/2016 12:05 - William A.

When are we going to have a REAL one million dollar prize? Not 600K on the cash option. Our Lottery has been around long enough to pay the stated prize not take 400 K off the top if you want your money. It's sad when you take more home on Jumbo bucks a 750,000 dollar prize than you do in a Million dollar game. I know you can you take the payments but if you win be fair about it and pay the players. The odds are already bad enough without stiffing your players. Thanks

7/16/2016 09:26 - NC Lottery

RE: Florida Lottery. The Florida lottery started 18 years before our state's did and the Sunshine State has twice the population we do. Every state is different, and each state's elected officials decide which good causes lottery funds might benefit. We return a similar amount back into the state economy through prizes, earnings for education, commissions for retailers, and other administrative expenses that benefits commerce in the state. We're glad more than $4.4 billion in lottery funds have been raised for education in our state. If the four $10 million prizes in Ultimate Millions were divided into $1 million prizes, the game would have started with 58 instant prizes of $1 million (and three second-chance prizes of $1 million, too!) :-)

7/16/2016 08:00 - Michael M.

Be blessed .

7/16/2016 07:13 - Tommie F.

I'm claiming the next big win.

7/16/2016 06:32 - sandra b.

I have entered 3 wheel of fortune tickets in the second chance drawings recently and when I looked at my ticket entry history it shows zero entry...please explain...I think you have a glitch in your system.NC Lottery
We will pass this along in case it helps identify something that could be going on with other users. Keep in mind that the entry period for the first Wheel of Fortune drawing was June 30. So if your most recent entry was on or before that date, the system is correct in showing that you don't have any entries for the current entry period. But anytime you think there may be a technical issue, please click on the HELP link at the top of the screen and fill out an ONLINE SUPPORT form. You can also call the toll-free numbers on that page for more assistance.

7/16/2016 12:11 - Ben G.

Good luck to everyone have fun!!!!

7/15/2016 10:16 - Parenthia G.

So happy for every winner. Does anyone ever win the larger prizes on the cash 5 ez-matchNC Lottery
All the time. But since it's a $500 prize that can be claimed at a retailer, we don't know the names of those winners to share with you. We hope you're one of them! :-)

7/15/2016 10:13 - Alfred K.

KEEP WISHING !!??

7/15/2016 09:46 - Lisa S.

Good luck to everyone

7/15/2016 09:43 - Santina R.

There is a Blessing with my name on it....Need a Big Big Win

7/15/2016 09:34 - gregory g.

You only need to buy one ticket to win.

7/15/2016 09:25 - Steve J.

Just ONCE. I'm still pay for doctors bills from 2011 when I had stage 3 lymphoma and retirement isn't that far away! It sure would be nice to wipe the slate clean.

7/15/2016 07:08 - Angela C.

when i win im going to get my son disable van the one with lift .he 16 years old and a little heavy but i can still lift him in and out of my truck but that van will help my bad .i still him everyday we are going looking for a van soon he is so happy.for a van lolim blessed is see so many differ disable kids most of the time i just cry i wish i had the power to help them walk and talk!!!!

7/15/2016 06:09 - Willie B.

why leave a comment, you won't print it you say i am in line haNC Lottery
Chances are we did post your comment but you didn't see it because you posted it on an older blog entry. One thing that would help you find your comments and our responses is if you were to change your screen name from the default "PLAYER" to something more unique. That was you can look for it. We post all comments but we have to review them first for vulgar language and to see if they need a response. We do our best to do this within 24 hours of comments being posted. If you ever have a specific question, you can call customer service between 8am and 530pm, Mon-Fri at 877-962-7529.

7/15/2016 06:00 - Sherrita B.

Congrats to the winners!! I'm a regular player whom haven't hit big yet but I'm also a believer so my day is coming!

7/15/2016 05:52 - lysandore m.

Peace love happiness

7/15/2016 05:10 - Nellie M.

Good luck to everyone.

7/15/2016 05:09 - James M.

$1450 million in prizes. $600 million for education. How much is spent on administration? Marketing? How much is sent to the MUSL for jackpots won out of state? Good luck.NC Lottery
The figures you're citing are in the ball park but not quite on the mark. Most lottery revenue is paid back in prizes - year before last it was 62.4%. Then 26.2% in earnings for education, 7% in retailer commissions and 4.4% in administrative expenses including advertising (by law, no more than 1% of revenue).

7/15/2016 04:30 - Edna O.

I'm going to be the next million dollar winner.

7/15/2016 04:04 - Denver G.

Off subject, first I want to applaud the NCEL & the LZ for everything you do. Second I want to address the legit complaints of many of our members concerning so called dumpster diving for tickets. It is not illegal & 100's if not 1000's of people do it. Major complaints are of store owners & staff having an advantage. We as players can stop this by taking our tics home w/us & entering them b4 cashing them in. Throw the tics in your trash. The NCEL & LZ can stop this by NOT letting us be able to enter winning tics in the drawings. I think most will agree, go back to the original concept of entering only non winning tics. Hence the phrase 2nd chance drawings. It wasn't broken so y the h did someone try to fix it. GAIN BACK THE TRUST !!!!

7/15/2016 03:42 - Twana S.

I'm claiming a big when the to be debt free and bless my church. It's gonna be a BLESSING. THANK YOU LLORD!

7/15/2016 02:33 - Donna S.

I'm not nor ever have been one of those winners. But as we all know it's a gamble, taking a chance with no guarantees. So yay for all the winners and I hope my day is coming. ????

7/15/2016 11:32 - Phyllis N.

I am happy for the very few who manage to win more than a break even ticket or a few more dollars.

7/15/2016 09:24 - Randy B.

Way to go everyone!!

7/15/2016 01:37 - Barry J.

FLORIDA LOTTERY ; WOW .. Their $25 scratch off ticket has *46* $1,000,000 winners , and *4* $10,000,000 winners! TALLAHASSEE - Joens chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $792,000.00. ( WOW; look at the difference in winnings with NO STATE TAX taken out , because there is no STATE TAX in Florida ) The $25 Scratch-Off game, $10,000,000 FORTUNE, launched on February 23, and features more than $623 million in total cash prizes, including 46 prizes of $1 million and four prizes of $10 million. The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $30 billion to education and sending more than 725,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 97 percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy.NC Lottery
Please see our reply below.

7/14/2016 09:35 - Alvin W.

I hope you all can come up with some better games, these new bonus games, so far are no good. Only paying out $5 and $10. If you all can't understand why so many people are complaining something is wrong with your thoughts. When people are spending $50 to $100 a day and are lucky to break even on a ticket here and there they are entitled to complain. I know your come back will be if you can't afford it don't play-well most of the people playing can't really afford what they spend on so-called education lottery. Instead of having 3 or 4 big winners on each game why not spread the other 1 or 2 big wins over the rest of the tickets that way you would have maybe more happy people. We are hearing a lot of complaining and cursing in Roxboro.NC Lottery
With games of chance, whether you play once in a while or often, there is never a guarantee of winning a prize. Non-winning tickets are what make it possible to pay prizes. Please play for fun knowing it takes luck to win.

7/14/2016 09:29 - Barbara R.

Congrats. I am next

7/14/2016 08:24 - Debbie P.

It's a blessing I hope I'm next

7/14/2016 07:38 - Willie A.

?? am Next

7/14/2016 05:58 - Randy B.

Congratulations to all those winners, wish I was among them.

7/14/2016 04:43 - Soulibuen P.

I never been win why i play all day i buy scrah game every day too

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How many prizes of $1 million or more in a year?

July 14, 2016 Posted by NC Lottery at 4:00 PM

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