Carolina Pick 3
How to Play: Carolina Pick 3
Playing Carolina Pick 3 is easy! Simply follow these steps and you’re ready to play!
- Pick a 3-digit number between 000 to 999.
(Or ask for Quick Pick and let the computer pick them for you.) You can play up to five sets of numbers on one playslip.
- PLAY TYPE: Choose the way you’d like to play to match your numbers to the official numbers drawn:
- EXACT (Exact Order) - must match winning numbers in order drawn.
- ANY (Any Order) - must match winning numbers drawn, but can be in any order.
- 50/50 (Exact/Any) - combines Exact Order and Any Order plays, so that you win either way the numbers are drawn.
- If no Play Type is chosen it will default to EXACT.
- Decide if you’d like to play for $0.50 or $1.00
(50/50 plays can only be played for $1.00).
- Select the drawing time you want to play.
Choose DAY DRAW (3:00pm) to play daytime draws only. Choose EVENING DRAW (11:22pm) to play EVENING draws only. Choose BOTH DRAWS to play both DAY and EVENING draws. (Two separate Pick 3 tickets will be generated; one for daytime drawings and one for evening drawings.) There are no daytime drawings on Sunday. If no draw time selection is made on the play slip, each play selected will be for the next scheduled drawing.
- Select the number of days that you would like to play your numbers.
All plays selected will be for the next scheduled (most current) drawing only, unless you choose Multi-draw or Advance Play
Because there is no Sunday daytime drawing, any Advance Play or Multi-Draw selection that includes a daytime drawing that crosses over Sunday will automaticaly default to the following Monday's scheduled drawing.
- Multi-draw - allows you to purchase tickets for up to 7 consecutive drawings for the EVENING DRAW including the current drawing or 6 consecutive drawings for the DAY DRAW including the current drawing.
- Advance Play - allows you to select specific future draw days excluding the current drawing for whatever DRAW is chosen (DAY, EVENING or BOTH). The maximum number of future drawings using the Advance Play feature is 6.
- If you make a mistake when marking your play slip, mark the “VOID” box for that panel and go to the next one.
Check your play slip carefully before purchasing your tickets. It is your responsibility to make sure the ticket represents the numbers you selected and the drawing you want to enter. At your request, your Carolina Pick 3 ticket can be cancelled on the terminal where it was produced within 15 minutes of the purchase time or within the remaining time before the draw break, whichever occurs first.
Drawing sales cut-off times are as follows:
DAYTIME - 2:45pm
EVENING - 11:00pm
All sales for Pick 3 (Daytime and Evening) stop at the cut off times and resume following each drawing.
How Much Can I Win?
| Play Types |
Prizes for 50¢ Play |
Prizes for $1.00 Play |
Odds 1 in: |
| *50/50 (Exact/Any) prize for matching “Exact Order” includes prize for “Exact Order” win of $250 plus “Any Order” win of $80 for a 3-way win or $250 plus $40 for a 6-way win. |
| EXACT (Exact Order) |
$250 |
$500 |
1,000 |
| ANY (Any Order) (3-Way) |
$80 |
$160 |
333.33 |
| ANY (Any Order) (6-Way) |
$40 |
$80 |
166.67 |
| 50/50 (Exact/Any) (3-Way) |
N/A ($1.00 Play required) |
$330* (Exact + Any)
$80 (ANY only) |
333.33 |
| 50/50 (Exact/Any) (6-Way) |
N/A ($1.00 Play required) |
$290* (Exact + Any)
$40 (ANY only) |
166.67 |
What does 3-Way and 6-Way mean?
3-Way means that you have chosen a number that has 2 digits that are alike. (Example: 377) Because of that, there are only 3 ways to combine the number selected, 377 – 773 - 737.
6-Way means that you have chosen a number that has 3 unique (Example: 368) Because of that, there are 6 ways to combine the numbers selected to win, 368 – 638 – 863 – 683 – 836 – 386.
How to Find Out If You’ve Won
Daytime drawing winning numbers will be webcast and can be viewed shortly after the 3:00pm drawing on this website or at WRAL.com. Additional sources for daytime drawing results are below.
- Lottery Retailers Statewide
- Daily Emails / Text Messages from the NCEL (Register here)
- NCEL Player Hotline - 877.962.7529
- TV Drawing Station Websites
- TV Drawing Station Winning Numbers Updates
Evening drawings will be televised on the NCEL drawing station network at approximately 11:22pm.
- WRAL - Channel 5, Raleigh
- WCNC - Channel 6, Charlotte
- WITN - Channel 7, Greenville, New Bern & Washington
- WILM - Channel 10, Wilmington
- WYCW - Channel 62, Asheville

How to Claim Your Winnings
SIGN THE BACK OF YOUR TICKET. The ticket is a bearer instrument until signed.
In accordance with NCEL prize payment policy, all online game prizes must be claimed within 180 calendar days of the drawing date. Tickets must be received by the NCEL by the end of the business day (local standard time), as posted by the NCEL, on or before the 180th calendar day from the drawing date. If the 180th calendar day falls on a day in which the NCEL is not open for business, the ticket must be claimed by the end of the NCEL's next business day. Postmarks shall not constitute satisfaction of the 180 day requirement. The risk of loss or late delivery of a claim package submitted by mail or other carrier remains with the Player. Only original tickets will be accepted to claim any prize.
- Prizes under $600 may be claimed at any NCEL Office; any NCEL Retailer, or by mail.
- For mailed claims, mail original ticket, NCEL Winner Claim Form and copy of proper identification to:
NCEL
P.O. Box 41606
Raleigh, NC 27629-1606
- Proper forms of ID must verify: name, signature, age and social security number.
All tickets, ticket shares, transactions, and players purchasing tickets are subject to the Lottery Act, NCEL rules and regulations and applicable laws (available via this website, calling Player Hotline or any NCEL Office). Tickets are void if they fail to meet requirements of game rules or are irregular in any manner. Liability for void ticket is limited to replacement of ticket or refund of retail sales price.
For more information please visit our How to Claim section of the website.