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North Carolina Education Lottery Timeline

August 31, 2005Legislation creating lottery signed into law
September, 2005NCEL Commission members appointed
October 6, 2005Initial meeting of NCELC
November 17, 2005Tom Shaheen appointed Director, NCEL
December 5, 2005Tom Shaheen begins work
December 12, 2005NCELC voted to join multi-state Powerball
January 12, 2006Retail applications posted on web
January 30, 2006Instant ticket and online games contracts awarded to GTECH
February 3, 20065028 retail applications received
February 13, 2006First retail equipment installed
March 6, 2006First retailer trained
March 9, 2006First scratch off tickets unveiled
March 10, 2006Tickets delivered to warehouse
March 18, 20064000th retailer installed
March 27, 2006Lottery advertising begins
March 28, 2006Instant tickets shipped to all approved retailers
March 30, 2006Education lottery begins retail sales
March 30, 2006Education lottery website live
March 31, 2006First $100,000 winner comes to Headquarters
April 18, 2006Two new scratch off games introduced
May 30, 2006Powerball sales began
May 31, 2006First Powerball draw and first Powerball $200,000 winner
June 7, 2006Player wins $1 million by powerplaying Powerball
July 22, 2006Staff moved into permanent offices-Yonkers Road
August 26, 2006Live Powerball drawing in Durham
September 29, 2006Unveil Carolina Hurricanes ticket
October 6, 2006Carolina Pick 3 sales began
October 19, 2006First transfer to beneficiary programs--$50 million
October 20, 2006Broke $500,000,000 in sales
October 27, 2006Carolina Cash 5 sales began
October 29, 2006First Carolina Cash 5 jackpot winner
October 31, 2006First Holiday Tickets, first $10 ticket on sale
November 29, 2006First Powerball Jackpot winner--$74.5 million
December 8, 2006Retired first instant scratch-off games
February 16, 2007 Powerball Jackpot winner, Jackie Alston, comes forward
March 30, 2007 First anniversary-NASCAR promo-first second chance drawing
May 11, 2007Sizzlin' Millionaire Raffle tickets go on sale
May 12, 2007Sales surpass $1 billion
June 30, 2007Sizzlin' Millionaire Raffle tickets sell out
July 4, 2007First raffle draw
July 10, 2007Introduce "Big Ol' Bucks" tickets and BOB the pirate
September 10, 2007Carolina Cash 5 Mustang Madness-first promo to give away cars
September 26, 2007Phil Morgan wins the first Cash 5 Mustang
September 26, 200732 players pick 4 of 5 white balls and Powerball based on TV show
November 11, 2007Merry Millionaire Raffle tickets go on sale
November 21, 2007NCEL conducts its first interim raffle draw for MMR
December 27, 2008Merry Millionaire Raffle draw
January 8, 2008$100 Million Cash Spectacular ticket with 73% prize payout goes on sale
February 12, 2008Farmville man wins first $1M annuity with $100 M Cash Spectacular
February 29, 2008Monthly sales top $100 million
March 27, 2008Harley ticket launched
March 31, 2008Mid-day Pick 3 draw begun
April 17, 2008First Harley Fat Boy awarded
May 3, 2008Total sales top $2 B
May 16, 2008NCEL 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race
May 17, 2008Live Powerball drawing at Lowe's Motor Speedway
June 7, 2008Annual sales top $1B
June 30, 2008Transfers to education $350 million meet legislative budget
August 1, 2008First Ford F-150 Lariat awarded
August 5, 2008$130M Blockbuster goes on sale-first win for life grand prize
August 4, 2008NCEL drawing room completed and ready to handle entries for second chance drawings
September 8, 2008Charlotte college student wins first $1M annuity with $130 M Blockbuster
October 21, 2008First interim draw for $130M Blockbuster - win $50,000 a year for life conducted at NCEL drawing room
January 7, 2009First draw with Powerball matrix changes, Florida as a new member, and minimum $20 million jackpot
February 25, 2009DOND Drawing for 5 players to travel to Hollywood
February 26, 2009Surpassed $3 billion in sales
March 31, 2009Highest transfer to date - $114 million, bringing life-to-date transfers to over $1.032 billion
March 31, 2009Win Before It Begins Harley giveaway at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte
April 17, 2009Carolina Pick 4 added to NCEL games
May 9, 2009NCEL receives Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for first time
June 20, 2009Second Powerball jackpot winner sold in North Carolina - $88.1 million
June 23, 2009Partial 4th quarter transfer brings fiscal year to targeted goal of $385.5 million with 3 weeks to go in fiscal year
June 23, 2009Second Powerball jackpot winner comes forward - Jeff Wilson of Kings Mountain
July 1, 2009Final FY09 transfer brings fiscal year total to $410,876,050 and life-to-date total to $1,136,246,030
July 14, 2009World Series of Poker ticket launched; first ticket with chance to sit at the table for World Series of Poker; first online entry only draw
July 21, 2009NCEL receives Certificate of Achievement for Excellence for Public Annual Financial Report for the first time; only state lottery in 2009 to receive the award
August 11, 2009NCEL joins Twitter and begins tweeting for first time
August 12, 2009$130 Million Blockbuster final draw; awarded grand prize of $50,000 a year for life to Darlene MacQuaide of Fayetteville
September 22, 2009NCEL launches Facebook fan page
October 6, 2009First $20 ticket, $200 Million Cash Extravaganza, available for sale; odds 1:2.65
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