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Take a break and cool off

January 27, 2026 Posted by NC Lottery at 8:00 AM
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The most confident lottery players use all the tools at their disposal to keep their play fun. When you play lottery games online, you have access to helpful tools like limit setting, monitoring your activity, and more.

Now you have new one – a Cool-Off tool. Keep reading to learn more.

What is the cool-off tool?

Our Cool-Off tool lets you do just that, take a personal timeout. You can take a break from playing the lottery for 24 hours to 30 days. Whatever you choose.

While you cool off, you won’t play any online lottery games, deposit funds, or participate in some Lucke-Rewards activities.

Can I still access my account during a cool-off?

Yes! During your break, you can still:

  • Log in to your account.
  • Withdraw funds.
  • Set up Deposit Limits, Daily Loss Limits, and Self-Exclusion

Why would I want to cool off?

Only you can decide if you need a personal timeout. While there’s no one-size-fits-all guide for the right time to take a break, here’s some common questions to help answer if a break might help: 

  • Are you chasing losses or trying to ‘get even’?
  • Did you get extremely frustrated or irritated following a loss?
  • Have you made comments about ‘needing’ or ‘being due’ for a win?

How can I set up my cool-off?

It’s as simple as one, two, three!

  1. Go to the “My account” screen.
  2. Click on the “Cool-Off” button.
  3. Select your cool off period: 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, 15 days, or 30 days.

Want to know more about other Play Smart tools?

To learn more about the other tools you can use to keep play fun, check out Play Smart.

What if I want more than a break?

If you do find that playing the lottery has become more than a game, you can talk to someone privately, 24/7, and at no cost by:

  • Texting morethanagamenc to 53342
  • Joining a live web chat at morethanagame.nc.gov
  • Calling the toll-free helpline at (877) 718-5543

2 COMMENTS

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1/27/2026 09:28 - Steven B.

i applaud you for addressing this concern.when it stops being fun/entertainment ,it can be distorted into something not so healthy.

1/27/2026 08:47 - William A.

How about make the odds better on the games instead of taking 40% of the players money

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