Lottery ticket sales brisk

RALEIGH -- Sales of scratch-off lottery tickets were brisk and most owners reported steady sales as North Carolina became the last state on the East Coast to sponsor a lottery today.

Officials at an afternoon news conference estimated that players bought $6.5 million of the $1, $2 and $5 tickets statewide today.

They reported sporadic problems at outlets. Officials said 4,800 of the 5,036 approved for opening day had turned their machines on by 4 p.m. There was no explanation for why the others were not online yet.

The first day of North Carolina's new lottery was kicked off early today when state Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee purchased five $1 dollar scratch-off tickets.

But lottery officials couldn't guarantee Lee's ceremonial purchase, which took place at lottery headquarters in Raleigh shortly after 6 a.m., was really the first in the state since all lottery terminals opened up at the same time.

Lee held up a crisp $5 bill and bought five tickets from lottery employee Marva Baker of Raleigh .

"This is fantastic," said Lee, holding up tickets for television cameras. "Today the North Carolina education lottery is open for business."

Lee said the lottery is expected to raise $400 million this year for education projects including school construction, college scholarships for needy students, and smaller classes. He vowed to work with Gov. Mike Easley to make sure the legislature doesn't reduce general fund revenues for education because of new lottery money.

"Gov. Easley is committed to making sure that this does not happen," said Lee, noting that Easley has mentioned a constitutional amendment to prevent lottery money from supplanting general fund revenue for education.

Lee emphasized the prime purpose of the lottery -- money for public education.

"The lottery is about a brighter future for North Carolina children, for North Carolina young people and for education in North Carolina," Lee said.

Lee did not scratch the ticket to see if he was the winner. Instead he planned to give the tickets to the state teacher of the year, Wendy Miller of Craven County, at a ceremony later this morning at the state Department of Education. If Miller is a scratch-off winner, the money will be donated to an education program to be determined at a later date, Lee said.

He joked about having to give away a potentially winning ticket. "If you hear a loud noise, that will be my wife chasing me out of the state because I gave away a million dollars," Lee said.

Carla Archie, the lottery's deputy executive director, said she expected heavy sales on the lottery's first day.

Lottery officials anticipate selling roughly $2 million worth of tickets statewide on the first day and have stocked extra tickets in warehouses to meet the demand.

"We're all very excited -- I didn't get much sleep last night," Archie said.