Celebrate your win in a smart way

November 13, 2023 Posted by NC Lottery at 3:08 PM

You know that exhilarating feeling you get when you get a lottery win? It’s the best, right?

We know that one of the first things you want to do after a big win is tell people about it.

Players love to post on social media when they get lucky and win a big lottery prize. And we love to see all those big wins!

But we also want to make sure players are aware of the potential problems with posting pictures of a big win online.

If you post a photo of a winning ticket and the barcode is visible, somebody can take a screenshot of the barcode on your ticket. That person can then take the picture to a retailer and have them scan the barcode and claim your prize.

Retailers are trained not to accept pictures of barcodes but mistakes can happen. We have seen the situation occur where a player went to collect a prize but couldn’t because somebody took a picture of their winning barcode and claimed it before the actual winner could.

In order to avoid this happening to you:

Ideally collect your winnings before posting on social media
If you really want to post it right away, make sure the barcode does not show in your picture

The lottery is committed to making sure all players get to collect their winnings so just be careful when posting on social media after a big win!

18 COMMENTS

11/15/2023 03:42 - Adam R.

"NC LOTTERY Hi, Adam! Fireball can replace any one of the lottery-drawn numbers to create more winning combinations, but your numbers are always your own. With the drawn numbers of 7-7-1 and Fireball 1, you could create the additional combinations of 1-7-1 or 7-1-1, and if you had either of those, your ticket would be a winner!" NC Lottery, that is what I am saying... I did have combo 7-1-1 and won; however I was not awarded then. LOOK INTO IT PLEASE! serial # for the draw: 202233E84E2103DF3NC Lottery
Hi, Adam! We can't see specifics from purchase history - our Online Support folks can at https://nclottery.com/Help. However, you mentioned in your previous comment that you played 6-1-7. Your numbers cannot be replaced with Fireball, only lottery-drawn numbers can. If the Fireball in that drawing was 6, you could create a matching combo to your numbers, but the numbers you played are always the same. Hope this helps to clarify.

11/15/2023 10:39 - Adam R.

for 11/7 day draw on pick 3 it was 771 with fireball 1. I played 617 combo with fireball. Online portal says no winner. How is this so?NC Lottery
Hi, Adam! Fireball can replace any one of the lottery-drawn numbers to create more winning combinations, but your numbers are always your own. With the drawn numbers of 7-7-1 and Fireball 1, you could create the additional combinations of 1-7-1 or 7-1-1, and if you had either of those, your ticket would be a winner!

11/15/2023 08:05 - zadock m.

good info,no great info!!!!!

11/15/2023 07:26 - Toni B.

I wouldn’t advertise on social media about winning anyways too many people want be your friend.

11/15/2023 05:50 - Darlene E.

New site is Terrible can't get on to past P4/P3 numbers. Really this sucks. WHY????NC Lottery
Hi, Darlene! We're sorry you aren't a fan of the newest updates! We've been making some improvements and changes across the site as we launch our all new play experience. You can view past draw results under the "Winning Numbers" tab, or on each game's page.

11/15/2023 12:43 - Charles H.

One concern for me is when you cash-in a $50 or higher ticket at a retailer. Why does everyone in the store have to be alerted to your win? The amount a player wins should be known only to the player and the cashier. I don't know if the retailers have the option to turn the alert off, but they should.

11/14/2023 10:37 - Bessie U.

Why is taking so long for online winning to be paid out?NC Lottery
Sorry about that, Bessie! We work to process withdrawal requests as soon as possible and get winnings to our players ASAP. It can take several business days to process on our end, and to process through your financial institution. If you'd like, you can reach out to https://nclottery.com/Help and our Online Support team may be able to provide an update on the process.

11/14/2023 09:53 - Angelia B.

Thank you for this useful information.

11/14/2023 07:02 - coriante s.

Well I would like for you guys to change the settings of the app back to what it was this is horrible bad idea. You guys created it like a wallet and you can’t see all of the keno numbers. Also if I want to go look up a number from five years ago it’s very difficult to do change the app back this is not it horrible I did. Stop trying to fix something that’s not broken

11/14/2023 04:55 - Kenneth A.

If the North Carolina lottery is so concerned about players safety, do like other states and let winners be anonymous..!!!!NC Lottery
Hi, Kenneth! This is a decision that would lie with legislators in North Carolina. Currently, NC law requires a big winner's name, hometown, game played, and amount won to be public information. Anything else a winner wishes to share with us, including taking a photo, is up to them.

11/14/2023 04:49 - Sherley C.

Will keep this information in mind.

11/14/2023 03:49 - Adam R.

May someone respond to my email or chat inquiry regarding pick 3 day draw fireball play for 11/7. Thanks!NC Lottery
Hi, Adam! Our Online Support folks work to respond to requests as soon as possible. Our social team is unable to view those requests, but if it's a general question, feel free to ask it in the comments and we may be able to help! For account-specific inquiries, our Online Support team is the best help for those, and they will respond ASAP!

11/14/2023 06:02 - Joe S.

Great advice! Better yet, create an LLC to collect large winnings. :)

11/14/2023 05:29 - Larry D.

Great advice

11/14/2023 12:36 - Ayonna H.

That is great information how do you claim a prize or how do you know if you win...?NC Lottery
Hey there, Ayonna! If you have a physical ticket, you can scan your ticket using our mobile app scanner, or use https://nclottery.com/RewardsTicketEntry to enter the Lucke-Rewards barcode and you can see if your ticket is a winner, then depending on the amount won, you can begin to claim your prize at a lottery retailer, office, or by mail. You can learn more about claiming prizes here: https://nclottery.com/ClaimPrizes. If you're a winner through Online Play, you'll get an email notifying you of your win with instructions on claiming your prize, and prizes under $600 will automatically be deposited into your account!

11/13/2023 08:05 - JULIA J.

What might be a potential security issue is the jingle plays when someone cashes out $50 at a retailer. I had so many strangers day to me how they wish they have my luck after hearing the music. The clerk should be able to turn down the volume so everyone in the store hears it.

11/13/2023 06:56 - Robert C.

i need a win so i can feed the needy veterans , pleaseeeeee!

11/13/2023 06:10 - Christopher J.

Anyone else having problems signing in on the app? Never had a problem untill the past couple of daysNC Lottery
Hi, Christopher! We're sorry to hear you're having trouble signing in to the app. If you're still experiencing this issue, please reach out to https://nclottery.com/Help and our Online Support folks can look into this and help you regain access to your account.

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Celebrate your win in a smart way

November 13, 2023 Posted by NC Lottery at 3:08 PM

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