Luck is smelling a whole lot like pork lately. For just a couple bucks, North Carolina lotto players can now get barbecue-scented, scratch-n-sniff lotto tickets, which can win them a whopping $25,000.
On September 8, the North Carolina Education Lottery rolled out the BBQ Bucks scratch-off game at restaurants in Raleigh and Charlotte.
“I can tell you that there was intention to make sure the ticket’s scent didn’t try to live up to the real thing, which the lottery is content to leave to BBQ experts, like the folks at Cooper’s [the first barbecue spot to offer the specially scented tickets],” lottery spokesman Chris Bushnell told the Charlotte Observer. “That’s why we went with a smoky scent.”
For just $2, anyone can take a stab at winning the top prize of $25,000. In most lottery games, winners can choose to receive the winnings as a lump sum payout, or as an annuity, which will generally start paying out in as little as 30 days. Each ticket can be entered into a second-chance drawing as part of a “1,000 lbs. of Pork Giveaway,” which the lottery will soon announce details about.
Lottery officials also said that in addition to the aromatic scratch-offs, there’s going to also be giveaways, t-shirts, and prizes.
Additionally, the lottery will also encourage North Carolinians to hash out what joint has the best barbecue in the entire tar heel state over social media.
Last year, the North Carolina lottery sold almost $2 billion in lottery tickets, which raised over $500 million for a variety of different educational programs throughout the whole state. With the new gimmick, the lottery stands a good chance of raising even more.
That is, of course, if participants can manage not to consume their smokey smelling ticket.
“I wanted to eat the ticket!” Maurice Nance told USA Today. “It makes me hungry.”