North Carolina Scratch-Off Awards First $277,740 Top Prize in New Game

The first $277,740 top prize in North Carolina's newly released $200,000 Taxes Paid scratch-off has been claimed, marking the first top-prize claim since the game was introduced in September 2026. The winning ticket was purchased in Charlotte, and the prize was claimed at lottery headquarters on September 23, 2026.

The ticket cost $5 and was purchased at the QuikTrip on Central Avenue in Charlotte. That ticket became the first to claim one of the three $277,740 top prizes available in the game.

The prize amount and the payment received represent two different figures. The $277,740 top prize is the game's grossed-up value before taxes are paid. After state and federal tax withholdings, the Charlotte player received $200,000.

The prize was claimed at lottery headquarters on September 23, two days before the NC Education Lottery's September 25 publication date for the announcement. The claim established the first reported top-prize claim for the newly released scratch-off.

The $200,000 Taxes Paid scratch-off was released on September 1, 2026. The official game information identifies it as game number 56 and lists a $5 ticket price and a $277,740 top prize.

Three top prizes of $277,740 were made available in the game. With the first prize claimed, two $277,740 top prizes remain to be claimed.

The published odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,696,760. The lottery's announcement describes those odds as approximately 1 in 1.69 million, providing the published probability associated with the game's top prize.

The game also has published overall odds of 1 in 4.30 for winning any prize. Those overall odds are separate from the 1 in 1,696,760 odds attached specifically to the $277,740 top prize.

The game's $5 price is therefore tied to a scratch-off that carries a grossed-up top prize of $277,740 and three available top-prize opportunities. The first of those opportunities has now been claimed, while two remain.

The September 1 release date places the September 23 claim within the game's first month of availability. The claim also represents the first top prize awarded from the three-prize structure listed for the game.

Readers seeking current North Carolina lottery information can use the latest North Carolina lottery results page for current results information.

The remaining two top prizes are each valued at $277,740 before taxes, according to the published game structure. The first claim leaves those two top-prize opportunities outstanding in the $200,000 Taxes Paid scratch-off.