Triangle has lottery fever

The Triangle area buys the most lottery tickets.

According to figures the lottery compiled for its fiscal 2009 annual report, the Raleigh area bought 40 percent of all lottery tickets sold. Stores in the Charlotte region sold 24.5 percent of the tickets. The Greensboro and Greenville areas accounted for roughly 15 percent of tickets and the western part of the state consumed 6 percent.

The proportions are similar to 2008.

Instant, scratch off tickets, were the big seller with sales of $798.7 million or 62 percent of sales in 2009. Powerball and Pick 3 each had just under $210 million in sales. Pick 4 sold $15.8 million in tickets and Cash 5 had $60 million worth of tickets sold.