Lottery idea: $20 a play for $1 million

The state lottery is set to go "old school."

Plans are in the works for an old-fashioned raffle -- a drawing game that harks back to the origins of lotteries in the United States. But this one will be up-to-date in its scope.

Instead of paper ticket stubs, the state would offer 500,000 numbers for sale on play slips through the computer network in place at outlets statewide.

The $20 cost of a ticket would establish a high mark for a single play since North Carolina launched its lottery in March.

Four grand prizes of $1 million are planned. So if tickets sell out, $20 would buy a 1-in-125,000 shot at the big prize.

"It's about as good as it's going to get to win $1 million," lottery chief Tom Shaheen said of the odds.

He said plans call for five additional winners of $100,000 and 500 winners of $1,000.

The other 99.89 percent of the tickets would be losers.

The game would generate roughly $3.5 million for education programs but would not make a big dent in what have been sluggish sales overall.

Shaheen proposes that tickets go on sale in May and that winning numbers be drawn on the Fourth of July. He's planning a theme to coincide with the holiday.

Lottery commissioners will consider approving the raffle Tuesday.

Raffles were a big part of Colonial-era lotteries but fell out of favor as lotteries evolved and technology advanced.

Raffles helped build the South Building at UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as other schools and academies, public projects and some churches in the state.

Other states have recently tried raffles. In most, tickets sold out.

"It's the kind of game that appeals to people," Shaheen said.