Who Is The Mystery $1 Million Mega Millions Lottery Winner In Fayetteville?

The recent Mega Millions lottery jackpot drawing is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, as one lucky ticket secured a prize of $1 million for a North Carolina winner who has yet to come forward. While the identity of the big money winner is still unknown, it's been confirmed that the ticket was purchased in Online Play in Fayetteville.

According to a news release, this was one of only two million dollar wins in the entire country from this past Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing. The other win was in Massachusetts. The odds of matching numbers on all five balls was 1 in 12.6 million, so the fact that it happened in Fayetteville is absolutely mystifying!

The only problem is that, as of the time of this article, the winner hasn't come forward to claim their cash prize. If you live in Fayetteville there's a good chance you drove past the newly-made millionaire on I-95 this morning.

This begs the question: which one of our Fayetteville faithful hit lottery paydirt this week?

We should have an answer soon, as the winner is required to claim their prize within 180 days of winning. And per North Carolina Education Lottery guidelines, "...a winner's name, city/county, and the prize amount a matter of public record, unless the winner produces a valid protective order or Address Confidentiality Program authorization card."

While the mystery Fayetteville winner secured the biggest bag from the lottery in North Carolina, there were other winners in the Tar Heel state who still made out with a hefty chunk of change this week. Lottery players in Raleigh, Asheville and Granite Falls walked away with $10,000 from Tuesday's drawing.

However, there has still been no winner of the Mega Millions jackpot, which now totals $792 million. The next Mega Millions jackpot drawing will be Friday, March 15.

For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.

After much anticipation and hype, the day is finally here as online sports betting is now officially legal in North Carolina! Now all NC residents over the age of 21 will be able to place online bets and wagers for almost every major sporting event, including the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Here's everything you need to know about the new betting craze in North Carolina, how you can get involved, and how you can do so responsibly.

North Carolina was technically approved for online betting late last year, but for a while there was little to no word on when it would take effect. Shortly after the NC General Assembly set a deadline for June 15, an official launch date was made for March 11.

The excitement is palpable throughout the state. In a recent survey by BetCarolina.com nearly one in three North Carolina residents said they were "likely" or "very likely" to participate in online sports betting now that it's legal. The survey also revealed that one in six NC residents plan on placing sports bets as often as once a week.

With so much buzz surrounding the new sports betting venture, it makes sense why North Carolina is projected to have the highest first-year handle in the market. The Tar Heel state is expected to generate over $6.5 billion through betting sites. A few key factors go into this projection, including North Carolina's population, economic status, and thriving sports scene.

There's a lot to be excited about with online sports betting now legal in NC, especially with March Madness underway. Now you can literally put your money where your mouth is when cheering on your favorite teams to victory. There are a few key pieces of information to help you get started. Here's everything you need to know about sports betting in North Carolina!

If you've been online anytime in the last couple weeks, chances are you have seen some (or... a lot) of ads for the various sites you can bet through. Yes, these are all legit companies.

But it's important to know that there are only EIGHT companies that you can do this through.

Eight sports-betting started taking wagers today. These sites include Bet365, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN BET, Fanatics, FanDuel and Underdog. According to a recent poll, DraftKings and FanDuel are the most popular apps among new North Carolina betters.

Most of these sites have been promoting bonuses for new NC customers, seen here.

The difference between all of them is mostly just brand preference. They all functionally do the same thing. They let you see games going on, and the various ways you can bet on them.

The differences are mostly in the small details, like how they package special bets and promotions. It's overwhelming at first, but once you find one you like, stick with it. As we said, DraftKings and FanDuel are the big dogs in the hunt.

You'll see words like "moneyline" and "parlays" thrown around often on nearly every online sportsbook. While these words can be confusing at first, they're incredibly simple to understand once you get the hang of it.

The good folks over at BetCarolina.com have some good primers for you on major terms.

Here's the big stuff though:

Here are a few other words you'll need to know in the world of online sports betting thanks to BetCarolina.com:

- Parlays

- Futures

- Prop Bets

- Odds & Lines

- Live Betting

While statewide sports betting is online only, there are physical brick-and-mortar sportsbooks open at North Carolina's three tribal casinos.

You can find these sportsbooks at Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, Cherokee Casino in Cherokee, and Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort which is also in Cherokee.

The NCAA Tournament is exactly why sports betting went live today. State Lottery officials wanted to take advantage of letting North Carolina residents bet on one of the most gambled on sporting events of the year. To not be ready for that would have been a major loss.

So it's just in time, as Selection Sunday is coming this weekend, and the Tournament will begin next week. There will be TONS of opportunities to bet on it. If you get signed up now, you'll have a week or so to get used to things before the Tournament.

A new poll reveals that 55%  of people are the most excited to place wagers for the upcoming NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. If you plan to place your own bets for March Madness, it would behoove you to pay attention to Selection Sunday on March 17 so you can form your bracket.

When participating in online sports betting, it's suggested that you stick to the sports that you're most familiar and comfortable with. For instance, if you're a big football fan you would be better off placing wagers for NFL or college football games. The more well-versed you are with a sport, the more likely it is that you will make smart, well-educated wagers.

Sports betting can be dangerous. And if you're going to do so, you should do it responsibly. So it helps to focus on things you feel extremely comfortable with your knowledge on.

Most every online sportsbook will allow you to place wagers on individual players for any given game rather than betting on the whole team. If you think a football team will lose an upcoming game but also believe that team's running back will rush for 40 yards, you can bet on them doing just that.

This strategy could prove especially fruitful come NFL season in North Carolina. Betting on the Panthers as a whole may be risky, but Thielen could be a safe bet for receiving yards.

This is sometimes more entertaining, as it basically gives you a financial stake on a player you might otherwise not care about. It's also the spot that gives security experts the most concern, as it's far easier for an individual to alter their own stats than it is the full team they play on.

While you're more than welcome to bet on your favorite teams, do remember that you'll have money riding on each game you place online bets for. It's encouraged that you bet with your head more than your heart in most cases. If the Carolina Hurricanes don't look too promising, you might not want to weather that particular storm.

Resources are available in North Carolina for those experiencing problem gambling. If you or someone you know needs help, call the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program helpline at 877-718-5543.

Please visit morethanagame.nc.gov for additional resources.