New Carolinians spend a record $6.6 billion on lottery

The majority of that revenue, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery, comes from your phone.
Posted 9/9/2025, 10:23:56 PM Updated 9/9/2025, 11:00:05 PM

NIGHT'S COUNCIL MEETING WAS

TENSE LASTING MORE THAN 5 HOURS

AND ENDING AFTER MIDNIGHT.

ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY? A LOT

OF NORTH CAROLINIANS CERTAINLY

ARE NEW AT 6. THE NC EDUCATION

LOTTERY ANNOUNCED ANOTHER

RECORD YEAR IN SALES.

>> WITH PEOPLE SPENDING 6.6

BILLION DOLLARS ON IN-PERSON

AND DIGITAL LOTTERY TICKETS

DURING THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR.

5 ON YOUR SIDE'S KEELY ARTHUR

SHARES. WHAT'S DRIVING THE

TREND AND WHY FINDING FINANCIAL

RICHES USUALLY DOESN'T INVOLVE

THE LOTTERY.

>> WHEN YOU THINK OF THE

LOTTERY, YOU PROBABLY THINK OF

PAPER TICKETS OR SCRAP JOBS.

BUT THE SURGE IS COMING FROM

SOMEWHERE ELSE. YOUR PHONE GET

THIS 40% OF RECENT SALES CAME

FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA

EDUCATION LOTTERY DIGITAL

PROJECT CALLED DIGITAL

INSTANCE. OF COURSE, THIS IS

ALL ENTERTAINMENT. AND IF

YOU'RE LOOKING TO MAXIMIZE YOUR

MONEY IS PROBABLY A DIFFERENT

PATH TO TAKE.

AMERICANS LOVE THE LOTTERY HAS

JUST BEEN LIKE.

>> ANNA SIZE, WHAT YOU'LL DO

WITH IT.

>> BUT NORTH CAROLINIANS MAY

LOVE IT MORE THAN MOST. AND WE

BOUGHT LIKE $20. WORD SHOPPERS

IN THE STATE SPEND 16.8 MILLION

DOLLARS HOPING TO WIN THE 1.8

BILLION DOLLAR POWERBALL THIS

PAST WEEKEND. AND WHILE

INCREASED SPENDING IS EXPECTED

ANYTIME A JACKPOT REACHES THAT

LEVEL RESEARCH FROM LENDINGTREE

SHOWS NORTH CAROLINA HAS THE

12 TH-HIGHEST LOTTERY SPENDING

IN THE COUNTRY. CERTAINLY

SEEING LOTTERY SPENDING

GROWING. ED SCHULTZ. HE'S THE

CHIEF CONSUMER FINANCE ANALYST

FOR LENDING TREE. HE SAYS THE

AVERAGE NORTH CAROLINIANS

SPENDS $421 A YEAR ON THE

LOTTERY. COMPARE THAT TO $915

IN MASSACHUSETTS. THE HIGHEST

AND JUST 50 BUCKS IN NORTH

DAKOTA. THE LOWEST IS I THINK

PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY'RE MORE

LIKELY TO GET STRUCK BY

LIGHTNING THAN THEY ARE TO WIN.

>> BUT PEOPLE LIKE BEING ABLE

TO DREAM ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE

GOING TO DO WITH THAT MONEY.

BUT IF YOU'RE PLAYING THE

LOTTERY TO MAKE MONEY, IT MAY

BE TIME TO RETHINK THINGS.

>> BUT THAT SAME $421 A YEAR

INTO A 5% SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR

5 YEARS.

>> AND YOU HAVE ABOUT $2300 A

FAR BETTER PAY OFF.

>> A HIGH-YIELD SAVINGS ACCOUNT

CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND.

IT

CAN ABSOLUTELY TURBOCHARGE YOUR

MY DAD. EVERY TIME I DO IT BY

DADS LIKE YOU'RE JUST WASTING

YOUR MONEY. AND I'M LIKE, NO,

YOU NEVER KNOW. YOU CAN'T LIKE.

>> YOU KNOW, AND YOU DON'T LIKE

TRY AND ANOTHER UPSIDE TO

PARTICIPATING EDUCATION.

THE NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION

LOTTERY ANNOUNCING THAT THEY

RAISED MORE THAN 1 BILLION

DOLLARS TOWARDS EDUCATION FOR

THE 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR IN A ROW.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN WATCH THE

LOTTERY DRAWINGS RIGHT BEFORE

THE 11:00PM BROADCAST OF WRAL

NEWS KEELY ARTHUR, 5 ON YOUR

SIDE.

>> IF YOU OR SOMEONE, YOU KNOW,

HAS A GAMBLING PROBLEM, HELP IS

AVAILABLE. JUST CALL

877-718-5543. YOU CAN TEXT MORE

THAN A GAME AND SEE 2, 5, 3, 3,

4, 2, OR VISIT MORE THAN A GAME