Do you want to know all the ways you can play Pick 3 in North Carolina? Unsure what the difference is between 3-Way and 6-Way? Find out all the answers you need by looking through the frequently asked questions below.
There are a few steps to play Pick 3, but the main requirements are for you to choose three numbers between 0 and 9, select a play type and decide how much to pay. Go to the How to Play page for more information.
You can submit an Exact play if you want to try and match the winning numbers in drawn order. An Any Order play gives you a win if all your numbers are all drawn, even if they are not in the correct positions. A 50/50 splits the cost between an Exact and an Any Order. Alternatively, you can play a Combo, where each possible combination of your numbers is entered as a separate Exact play. Finally, you can play a Front Pair or a Back Pair – just select two numbers and predict either the first two or last two winning numbers.
There are two daily drawings in North Carolina. The Daytime draw is held at approximately 3:00 p.m., with the Evening draw at 11:22 p.m.
If you’re playing at a retailer, the cut-off time for ticket sales is 2:45 p.m. for the Day drawing, and 11:00 p.m. for the Evening draw. If you’re playing online, ticket sales close a couple of minutes earlier.
You can decide whether to pay $0.50 or $1 per play, unless you are playing a 50/50, in which case it is a fixed $1.
You must be at least 18 years old to buy a lottery ticket in North Carolina.
The top prize in Pick 3 is $500, if you play an Exact for $1 and succeed in matching all the numbers. The prize you can win depends on your play type, the amount you wager, and also whether you play a 3-Way or 6-Way combination.
A 3-Way play is any combination of numbers that has two identical digits and one that is different, such as 112. It is called a 3-Way play because your numbers can be ordered three ways – for example 112, 121 and 211.
A 6-Way play has three unique numbers, such as 123. There are six possible combinations of a number of this kind – for example 123, 132, 213, 231, 312 and 321.
The odds are different for each play type, but the chances of matching three numbers exactly are 1 in 1,000. Head over to the Odds and Payouts page to see the probabilities for each play style.
Fireball is an option that you can add to your Pick 3 play to boost your chances of winning. A fourth number – the Fireball – is drawn after the three main numbers, and you can use this to replace any of the three winning digits. Go to the Fireball page for more information.
You can cancel Pick 3 tickets, but only at the same retail terminal where your ticket was produced. This must be done within 15 minutes of the purchase time, provided ticket sales have not closed for the relevant draw.
Yes, you can use the Multi-Draw option to play your numbers in up to seven consecutive drawings.
You can claim Pick 3 prizes from lottery retailers in North Carolina, regional claim centers or even the NC Lottery Headquarters in Raleigh. Alternatively, you can mail winning tickets to NC Lottery, PO Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629-1606.
You have to come forward within 180 days of the draw date to claim any prizes won in Pick 3.