New lottery games debut this month

Thursday, October 05, 2006 posted 10:04 AM EDT

YOUNGSVILLE, NC -- Two new lottery games make their debut this month. The game Carolina Pick 3 launches Friday and lets you win as much as $500 by picking three numbers in a daily drawing.

"OK, so you're doing 50/50’s at $1 and we're doing four different games."

Wake Forest resident Sam Boone got a crash course Monday on how to play the new game.

"A lot of numbers to choose from, you have three numbers, a lot of chances of winning,” Boone said.

Lottery reps are spreading out across the state to help people learn to play the new game. Simply pick three numbers and then tune into a daily drawing to see if your numbers match.

"In the Pick 3, if you choose the exact order you have a chance of 1 in a 1000 to win, and your prize rates are, if you play $1, you can win $500,” explained lottery representative Daniel Rose.

Pick 3 tickets go on sale Friday morning and the first drawing is Friday night. Lottery Director Tom Shaheen hopes adding new games to the lottery will boost the summer slump in ticket sales.

"The summer months are the slow months in this biz,” Shaheen said. “People go on vacation and aren't interested in lottery tickets at that point."

The new game is enough to convince Ken Schneller to spend a few extra bucks.

"It’s not as much money but the odds are better, and you get a chance to win every day,” the Youngsville resident said.

That's what Boone is counting on. “There's always the big one waiting!"

Carolina Cash 5 starts at the end of the month. Players pick five numbers between five and 39. The prize money starts at $50,000 and then rises incrementally to $500,000 if no one wins each night.

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