The record-setting Powerball drawing Wednesday produced 19 big wins in North Carolina − including two $2 million prizes − boosted the state’s retail economy with record lottery ticket sales, and helped raise millions more for education.
Two tickets won $2 million. They were sold at the Harris Teeter on Fayetteville Road in Raleigh in Wake County and at the Food Mart Express on Spring Avenue in Spring Lake in Cumberland County. Three other tickets won $100,000 and 14 others won $50,000. Thousands of other smaller prizes were won by Powerball players all across the state.
Powerball sales on Wednesday also helped to set a new single-day record for lottery ticket sales in the state of $27.8 million, including $20.9 million from Powerball alone. Earnings from Powerball sales mean the lottery will exceed its goal of raising $529 million for education this year with all additional earnings going to the state to use for education programs.
“It was exciting to see North Carolinians join this world-record event as the Powerball game did its part in raising money for good causes all across the United States,” said Alice Garland, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We owe our retail partners big thanks for selling all those tickets. Most of all, thanks to everyone who chose to take a chance at a jackpot we’ve never seen before. The big beneficiary of this fun will be money for education that the state wouldn’t have otherwise.”
During the 70 days when the jackpot started at $40 million and climbed to $1.58 billion, the lottery recorded $101 million in Powerball ticket sales alone. Those sales boosted the state’s retail economy as the 6,900 lottery retailers earned $7 million in commissions. And with 76 cents of every $2 Powerball sale going to earnings, the sales meant $38.4 million was raised for education.
Three lucky tickets purchased in other states captured the Powerball jackpot of $1.58 billion as an annuity or $983 million cash. The tickets were sold in California, Tennessee, and Florida. The jackpot resets now to $40 million as an annuity or $24.8 million for Saturday night.
Here’s a look at North Carolina’s other big wins. Big Powerball prizes were won in 17 cities and towns in 15 counties.
Three Power Play tickets, which cost $3, matched four white balls and the red Powerball to win $100,000. Because each had the Power Play feature added and the multiplier in Wednesday’s drawing was two, the $50,000 win was doubled to $100,000.
- Speedway, Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington, New Hanover County
- Food Lion, Williamson Road, Mooresville, Iredell County
- Mountain Energy, Monticello Road, Weaverville, Buncombe County
Fourteen other $2 tickets won $50,000 for matching four white balls and the red Powerball. Those tickets were sold at:
- Rushco Food Stores, Yadkinville Road, Mocksville, Davie County
- Jiffy Quik, Sloop Avenue, Kannapolis, Rowan County
- Lowes Foods, Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County
- Harris Teeter, Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, Mecklenburg County
- Handy Mart, Main Street, Scotland Neck, Halifax
- Market Express, Idlewild Road, Indian Trail, Union County
- Sheetz, Yadkinville Road, Mocksville, Davie County
- Food Lion, Old Folkstone Road, Sneads Ferry, Onslow County
- Honest Grocery, Falls of the Neuse Road, Raleigh, Wake County
- Mel’s Superette, Old Lenoir Road, Hickory, Catawba County
- Burnsville Gas, :U.S. 19E Bypass, Burnsville, Yancey County
- Dunn’s Gas and Grocery, East Wellons Street, Four Oaks, Johnston County
- Mack’s Mart, Knightdale Boulevard, Knightdale, Wake County
- Handy Mart, Lejeune Boulevard, Jacksonville, Onslow County
