What time do they stop selling lottery tickets in north carolina

Can I purchase Florida Lottery tickets over the Internet? Do you have a subscription service?

No. The Florida Lottery does not offer the sale of Lottery tickets by mail, fax, or via the Internet, nor do we currently offer a subscription service. Tickets must be purchased from any of the more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers in the state of Florida. Find an authorized Florida Lottery retailer.

I have a POWERBALL, MEGA MILLIONS or CASH4LIFE ticket from another state. Can I cash it in Florida since this is a multi-state game?

All POWERBALL®, MEGA MILLIONS® and CASH4LIFE® prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, and all Florida POWERBALL, MEGA MILLIONS and CASH4LIFE® prizes, including the jackpot, must be paid in Florida like all other Florida Lottery games.

For more information on this exciting multi-state game, please visit the POWERBALL, MEGA MILLIONS or CASH4LIFE section of our website.

Can I buy Advance Play tickets for future drawings?

Yes, players can purchase Advance Play tickets from any authorized Florida Lottery retailer. Visit the Advance Play section for more details regarding Advance Play, and the number of Advance Play draws available per game.

How late can I purchase my Draw game tickets? What are the cut-off times?

All Florida Lottery Draw game tickets must be purchased prior to the applicable draw times as follows (all times are Eastern Time):

Tickets purchased after the applicable cut-off times will be for the next available drawing.

Where are Florida Lottery Draw game drawings held and can the public attend the drawings?

Drawings for POWERBALL®, FLORIDA LOTTO®, JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY™, FANTASY 5™, PICK 2™, PICK 3™, PICK 4™, and PICK 5™ are held at the Florida Lottery draw studio, located at 250 Marriott Drive in Tallahassee. These drawings are open to the public. For more information or to schedule your attendance, please contact the Florida Lottery's Customer Service Division, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at (850) 487-7787. A photo ID is required for access to the Florida Lottery building.

MEGA MILLIONS® drawings are held at WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia.

CASH4LIFE drawings are held at New Jersey Lottery headquarters studio in Trenton, New Jersey.
You can watch the drawing live and past drawings on www.livestream.com/CASH4LIFE.

The official Florida Lottery drawings may also be viewed at youtube.com/FloridaLottery

Where can I find more information on Florida Lottery games and where top-prize winning tickets were sold?

Lists of top prize and jackpot winning numbers, including the location where winning tickets were sold, are available on the Lottery's website. On the top of the homepage, select the ABOUT US link, and choose REPORTS from the left navigation. On this page, under each game's heading, there is a list of reports or documents.

This type of information may also be available on our MEDIA page. Current News Releases are available, which include information about Lottery winners, games, promotions and special events, among other general announcements. In addition, you may search the Lottery News Archives for past News Releases. Scroll down the page, and under LOTTERY NEWS ARCHIVE SEARCH you may search by Release Date or by Keyword or Phrase.

Where do I enter my non-winning tickets into a Bonus Play drawing? Can I participate by mailing my non-winning tickets to the Lottery?

To navigate to the Bonus Play drawings and promotions portion of our website, from the home page, please select the Promotions tab. From this page, all current Bonus Play drawings and promotions are listed to the right of the Welcome message. Use the All Promotions drop down menu to scroll down the list of promotions and choose the appropriate promotion. If this is your first time entering one of our promotions, you must register before you can log in and submit entries. To register, visit the Promotions website to complete and submit your registration information.

Please note: Internet entries are not eligible to be mailed into Florida Lottery Bonus Play drawings. Entries that are submitted through the mail will be disqualified.

I'm having difficulty trying to register. What can I do?

To register a new account, select the Promotions link on the main menu bar at the top of this page. After the page loads, click the "Register now" text link at the top right of the page. Fill out the required fields in the registration form and click SUBMIT.

After successfully submitting the form, you will be redirected to the LOG IN screen. Log in with the email address and password that you created in the registration process.

My password is not being accepted when I try to log in. What if I forgot my password?

Please note: You must complete the registration process before you can log in and submit entries. If this is your first time submitting entries, complete and submit your registration information. Once registered, if you have difficulty entering your password, check to see if your CAPS LOCK key is on. Passwords are case sensitive. If this is not the case, it is possible that your computer is set to AUTO FILL from previously typed numbers in this field. Please delete all characters in the field before entering new information.

If you forgot your password, have your password emailed to you.

How do I update my personal information after I have registered?

You can update your account information at any time by logging in to your account; sign in with the email address and password that you registered with. Then, select My Account to access your account information. Make any necessary changes on your information page, then click on the SUBMIT button to save your changes.

When I try to enter my ticket number in a Scratch-Off promotion, I get a message that the ticket number is not valid. What should I do?

First, make sure the ticket you are holding is not a winning Scratch-Off ticket. Next, check that the numbers you are entering exactly match what's on your ticket. Do NOT include any dashes (-), spaces or other characters. Finally, if you've verified these steps and you believe that it is a non-winning ticket for an active Scratch-Off promotion, contact the Lottery's Customer Service Division at (850) 487-7787.

When I try to enter my voucher number in a promotion, I get a message that the voucher number is not valid. What should I do?

First, make sure that you correctly entered the first 13 digits of your 19-digit voucher serial number, and not the Draw game ticket serial number. Do NOT include any dashes (-), spaces or other characters. Secondly, you must wait at least ONE HOUR after purchase to enter vouchers in a drawing. Players entering a voucher within one hour of purchase will be directed to return at a later date to enter their voucher in the drawing. Finally, if you've verified these steps and you believe that it is a valid voucher for an active promotion, contact the Lottery's Customer Service Division at (850) 487-7787.

Can I enter a Bonus Play promotion more than one time?

YES! You may enter a Bonus Play promotion up to 200 times per day. However, each entry requires the use of a separate qualified Scratch-Off ticket or voucher.

How can I be sure that my entry was successfully submitted? Can I verify which tickets or vouchers I have entered?

When your entry in a Bonus Play promotion is successfully submitted, a confirmation message will appear at the top of the Ticket or Voucher Entry page. In addition, submitted entries will be listed at the bottom of the page. Each time you submit an entry, a record of your entry appears at the bottom of the Ticket or Voucher Entry page for your information and reference. You may check the list against the tickets or vouchers you are holding. Your most recent entry will appear at the top of the list.

Can I delete an entry?

No, once your entry has been successfully submitted, it cannot be deleted. All entries are final.

May I throw away my tickets/vouchers after I have entered in a Bonus Play promotion?

Keep the non-winning Scratch-Off ticket or voucher that you entered, and keep it safe. If you are selected as a winner in a drawing, you may need to present the original ticket or voucher to claim the prize. After it has been determined that you are in fact not a winner in the promotion, only then should you discard your tickets.

How do I find out if I am a promotion winner?

The prize winners in each promotional drawing are posted on the bonus play drawing and promotions page the day of the draw, following the validation process. The Florida Lottery will attempt to notify each prize winner by telephone, U.S. mail or email using the contact information provided in the winner's registration data no later than one (1) week after the winners are drawn.

How do I claim my Lottery prize?

Claiming a Lottery prize is easier than ever!

Prizes of $1 million and above and all prizes with an annual payment option can be claimed in-person or dropped off at Lottery Headquarters or can be mailed* to Lottery Headquarters. Prizes at this level must be processed through Lottery Headquarters. Such winning ticket claims may be submitted to a Lottery district office, however, the district office will forward the claim to Lottery Headquarters for processing and payment, which could result in a longer processing time.

Prizes of $600 - $999,999 for games that do not offer an annual payment option can be claimed in-person or dropped off at any Lottery district office or can be mailed* to any Lottery district office.

Prizes of $599 and below can be claimed at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer.

A Winner Claim Form will need to be completed for prizes of $600 or more. These may be obtained from any Florida Lottery retailer, district office or on this website. Visit the How to Claim section for more information on how to claim a prize. Find a Lottery retailer near you. Visit the Lottery Offices section for the phone number, address and hours of operation of Lottery offices throughout the state.

*The risk of mailing tickets remains with the player and secure methods of mailing are recommended.

How can I claim my Lottery prize when I live out-of-state?

To claim Florida Lottery prizes from out of state, you may fill out the back of your ticket and mail it, along with the required documentation*, to the following address:

Claims Processing
Florida Lottery
250 Marriott Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32399-9939

The Lottery's Claims Processing Division will process your ticket and mail you a check for any applicable prize. Federal law prohibits the mailing of Lottery tickets across state lines. Winners redeeming free FLORIDA LOTTO® with XTRA tickets, free JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY with COMBO™ tickets, free FANTASY 5 tickets, or free Scratch-Off tickets will receive a check for the retail value of their free ticket prize. Please note: The risk of mailing tickets remains with the player and will not be assumed by the Florida Lottery.

* A completed Winner Claim Form and a photocopy of the required identification are necessary to claim prizes of $600 or more. For more information, visit the How to Claim section of the website.

How long do I have to claim my Lottery prize? Will my ticket expire?

Florida Lottery Draw game prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the applicable draw date. Draw game prizes for which a single-payment cash option is available must be claimed within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to elect the cash option.

Florida Lottery Scratch-Off and Fast Play game prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date.

Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire.

What percentage in taxes will the Lottery withhold from my prize?

The Internal Revenue Service requires that the Florida Lottery withhold 24 percent federal withholding tax from prizes greater than $5,000 if the winner is a citizen or resident alien of the U.S. with a Social Security number. The Florida Lottery is not required to withhold federal withholding taxes from prizes for $5,000 or less. If the prizewinner is a U.S. citizen or resident alien who does not have a Social Security number, the Florida Lottery is required to withhold 24 percent backup federal withholding tax from any prize of more than $600. For nonresident aliens, the Florida Lottery is required to withhold 30 percent federal withholding tax from all prize amounts. The Internal Revenue Service requires the Florida Lottery to report all winnings for $600 and above for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.

How quickly can I receive my money when I claim my prize? Will I receive a check or will it be directly deposited in my bank account?

The amount of the top prize will have a bearing on the length of time necessary to issue the prize payment. If the prize is less than $250,000, the player may receive the prize payment, less taxes when applicable, the same business day. If the prize amount is over $250,000, the prize payout, less taxes, will be ACH transferred to the winner's bank account, within two business days. Further, prizes may be paid via check rather than ACH transfer. However, most players with prizes greater than $50,000 choose the security and speed of an ACH transfer, providing immediate use of funds once transferred.Regarding POWERBALL® and MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot prizes, because POWERBALL and MEGA MILLIONS are a multi-state games, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) must collect the revenue from each of the 45 jurisdictions that participate in the games before the jackpot prize can be paid. Therefore, POWERBALL and MEGA MILLIONS jackpot prizes are not available until 15 days after the draw date. Regarding CASH4LIFE top prizes, because CASH4LIFE is a multi-state game, the participating states have two weeks to receive ACH transfers of funds from all nine CASH4LIFE members, so the earliest you may receive your CASH4LIFE top prize is on the 15th day after the winning draw date.

Tickets mailed to the Florida Lottery Headquarters will take approximately 30 days for the claims process. Damaged, state owed debt and disputed tickets may take longer.

What is the difference between cash option and annual payment option for FLORIDA LOTTO® and JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY™?

The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that jackpot winners may choose to receive instead of receiving their winnings in 30 annual payments for FLORIDA LOTTO®, and 25 annual payments for JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY™. Jackpot winners who want to receive a single cash payment must claim their prizes within the first 60 days after the draw date. Applicable federal income tax withholding will be deducted at the time payments are made for cash option and annual payments alike.

The cash option amount is not based on a set percentage, but rather is the amount required on the day of the drawing to purchase securities to fund the announced guaranteed deferred payment value of the jackpot prize paid over 30 years or 25 years, depending on the game. For FLORIDA LOTTO, and JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY annual payment options, the Lottery will purchase U.S. treasury strips which will guarantee equal payments to the winner over a period of 30 years or 25 years, again depending on the game.

See FLORIDA LOTTO and JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY game rules for complete details.

What is the difference between the cash option and annual payment option for MEGA MILLIONS®, POWERBALL® and CASH4LIFE®?

The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that jackpot winners may choose to receive instead of receiving their winnings in 30 annual payments for both MEGA MILLIONS® and POWERBALL® games. Jackpot winners who want to elect to receive a single cash payment must claim their prizes within the first 60 days after the draw date. Applicable Federal income tax withholding will be deducted at the time payments are made for single cash payments and annual payments alike.

For POWERBALL, if the jackpot prize is not a guaranteed amount, the cash option amount offered will be the cash amount available in the jackpot prize pool divided by the number of winners. The annual payment option prize will be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.

For MEGA MILLIONS, the cash option amount offered will be the jackpot prize annual payment option amount as determined by the Mega Millions lotteries, divided by a rate established by the Mega Millions Finance Committee prior to each drawing, divided by the total jackpot winning MEGA MILLIONS plays and Just the Jackpot plays. The annual payment option prize will be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.

For CASH4LIFE®, except as provided in the Official Game Rules, a CASH4LIFE top prize winner may choose to receive his or her portion of a top prize as an annual payment option or in a single cash payment. The top prize must be claimed within the first 60 days after the winning draw to elect the cash option. The annual payment based prize value paid to a sole winner shall be $1,000 a day for life paid in annual installments of $365,000 based on measuring the life of the winner (no less than 20 years). The cash option amount paid to a sole winner of the top prize will be $7,000,000.

Applicable withholding taxes will be deducted at the time payments are made for single cash payments and annual payments alike.

See POWERBALL, MEGA MILLIONS and CASH4LIFE game rules for complete details.

What if someone wins a jackpot or top prize and dies before the annual installments are paid?

If a jackpot or top prize winner dies before receiving all annual installments, the balance of the prize will be paid to the winner's estate. Upon receipt of a court order, annual prize payments will continue to be paid to the winner's heirs. POWERBALL® and MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot annual payments may be cashed out by the winner's estate.

What happens to prizes that are not claimed?

Florida law requires that 80 percent of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred directly to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20 percent is returned to the prize pool from which future prizes are awarded or used for special prize promotions.

Should a POWERBALL® or MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot ticket not be claimed within the 180 days of the applicable draw date, the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series.

Who can play and win Florida Lottery games?

Florida Lottery games can be played and won by adults 18 years of age or older, regardless of age, citizenship, race or financial status.

Can Lottery winners remain anonymous?

Florida Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner's name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information; however, Florida Lottery winners' street addresses and telephone numbers are kept confidential.

Beginning May 25, 2022, the names of Lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure (pursuant to F.S.24.1051(3)(a)) for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner

What does the Florida Lottery do with the money from ticket sales?

Proceeds from every dollar spent on Florida Lottery tickets help provide educational funding for Florida's school children. Whether it's Bright Futures scholarships, better books, technology for schools, or bonds for school construction, the proceeds from Florida Lottery ticket sales are transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) and appropriated by the Florida Legislature.

We recognize that the Lottery has an important obligation to keep players informed about contributions to the state's public education system. To this end, we openly produce and publicize reports and information each year to highlight our transfers to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF), our operations and financial position. Located on our website, the Florida Lottery's most recent Annual Report is currently available under the ABOUT US tab in the REPORTS section, as well as additional detailed information located under the EDUCATION tab. The information contained in these tabs includes transfer amounts to the EETF, county-by-county break downs of Lottery funds and where they are going, in addition to a variety of other financial and operational details.

How can I find more information about the Bright Futures Scholarships?

For more information on Bright Futures scholarships, please visit the Department of Education's website, or call the Florida Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance toll-free at 1-888-827-2004.