Ticket sales improving for North Carolina lottery

RALEIGH (AP) -- Scratch-off tickets with large cash prizes are helping the North Carolina Education Lottery sell more than ever before.

Lottery executive director Tom Shaheen says overall sales for about the first seven months of the fiscal year are nearly $18 million ahead of sales for the same period last year.

Shaheen has said sales for a new instant-ticket game called the "$100 Million Cash Spectacular" have soared. The game has ten top prizes of 1 million dollars.

During the lottery's first full year, it failed to meet sales projections by 25 percent. Shaheen says he thinks sales conditions are improving.

Lawmakers changed the lottery to allow more prizes and bigger jackpots. Officials say that could mean more money for education because of increased ticket sales.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)