Created: 10/13/2009 4:51:50 PM 
North Carolina-- The North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) has the opportunity to add another national lottery game to players. The Mega Millions consortium and Multi-state Lottery Association (MUSL) have conducted several joint meetings to discuss the potential of cross-selling Mega Millions and Powerball in all U.S. lottery jurisdictions.
On October 7, MUSL and Mega Millions reached an agreement in principle to begin the process for implementation as early as next calendar year 2010, and to work toward the development and implementation of a national lottery game, with an anticipated launch date of late fall 2010.
States that currently sell Powerball and other lottery products will have the opportunity to begin offering Mega Millions tickets to their players via authorized lottery retailers, pending the approval of each jurisdiction's governing body. As a result of this agreement, Mega Millions states will then be able to offer the Powerball game to complement their existing game mix. After several studies and by listening to lottery players throughout the United States, it was clear that allowing state lotteries to sell both Powerball and Mega Millions should create more winners, which is expected to result in incremental growth in revenue for the good causes that lotteries were established to support. Powerball drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesday and Friday nights.
"This would be a wonderful opportunity for North Carolina players to participate in another large jackpot game," said Tom Shaheen, NCEL executive director and MUSL president. "In addition, it has the potential to increase funds raised for education."
The NCEL first joined Powerball May 30, 2006. Since inception, sales for Powerball in North Carolina have reached over $793.3 million. The NCEL also has paid out a total of over $274.6 million in Powerball prizes. North Carolina also has had two Powerball jackpot winners. In June, Jeff Wilson of Kings Mountain won $88.1 million. He elected to take the cash lump sum of $42.4 million, which after taxes was worth approximately $28.8 million. Jackie Alston of Halifax hit the Powerball jackpot worth $74.4 million in November 2006. She claimed her prize in February 2007 opting for the lump sum in cash prize of $36 million, which after taxes was worth approximately $24.5 million.
NCEL
