News writer
In the world of lottery numbers, some combinations are more than just lucky — they're legendary. That was the case during Sunday afternoon's Carolina Pick 4 drawing when one of the most iconic sets of digits landed, triggering a jaw-dropping $12.2 million payout.
The winning combination? 8-8-8-8 — a set of numbers known affectionately as “quads” among lottery enthusiasts. These repeating digits are favorites among regular players, drawing countless bets with these players hoping for their turn at a big win.
The big win finally came
That big win finally came for Pick 4 players in North Carolina. The afternoon drawing on Sunday, January 12, came up 8-8-8-8, and that brought $12.2 million in winnings for lottery players.
For that drawing, the 8-8-8-8 combination produced 3,151 winning tickets. The top prize for Pick 4 is $5,000, and that will go to players who hold one of the winning $1 tickets purchased for this drawing. For those winning 50-cent tickets, those players will receive a prize of $2,500.
Players love the "quads"
For those not familiar, the winning numbers, 8-8-8-8, are known as “Quads” among Pick 4 players. These quads happen to be some of the most popular combinations of numbers played. The actual odds of matching all four numbers in a Pick 4 drawing are 1 in 10,000.
Because of this popularity, that is why we saw such a huge number of winners and such a big payout. For this drawing, there were 3,151 winners. We went back over the previous week's drawings and winners. On average, there were 426 winners per drawing. That means there were almost eight times as many winners for this Pick 4 drawing on Sunday!
Claiming your prize
For those lucky players holding onto one of those 3,151 winning tickets, you have 180 days to claim your prize. If you happen to make your way to one of the lottery's six regional offices today or tomorrow to claim your prize, lottery officials are letting you know to expect delays.
Since there was such a large number of winners, the wait times to complete your claims should be delayed. Also, make sure to bring a photo ID and proof of your Social Security Number to complete your claim.
Outpacing other 'quad' wins
How does this $12.2 million win for Pick 4 players compared to other recent quad wins in other states? Pretty stellar, to be honest!
In November 2024, 4-4-4-4 came up for Pick 4 players in South Carolina. This happened to be the third time in 2024 that 4-4-4-4 came up for Pick 4 players in the state. The November drawing had over 3,200 tickets winning a prize, and the state lottery paid out more than $6.5 million in prizes, so only half of what North Carolina players won.
In the District of Columbia, they happened to have rare back-to-back quad wins earlier this year. On Sunday, September 22, 2024, the 11:30 p.m. ET drawing for their DC 4 game was 8-8-8-8. That drawing featured 232 winning tickets, totaling over $1 million.
They continued the trend on Monday, September 23, 2024, during the 7:50 p.m. ET drawing for the DC 4 game. The drawing came in at 2-2-2-2, and lottery officials handed out $1.24 million in prizes.
Enjoy playing the North Carolina Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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