North Carolina will Introduce BBQ Scratch and Sniff Lottery Tickets Tomorrow

The Charlotte Observer reports that tomorrow, the North Carolina Education Lottery will debut "BBQ Bucks," a new line of barbecue-scented scratch-off lottery tickets. Depending on how you feel about state-sanctioned gambling, this is either a good or bad thing.

In January, New Hampshire introduced bacon-scented scratch-and-sniff lottery tickets. Indiana and Colorado recently followed suit, with Indiana's campaign claiming the name "Bringin' Home the Bacon" and offering the prize of free bacon for life. Last Thursday, Nebraska announced a run of sriracha-scented lottery tickets.

North Carolina barbecue enthusiasts know that the state is home to two distinct, equally beloved regional flavors: western NC style barbecue, whose adherents stick to a ketchup-based sauce and only cook the shoulder of the pig; while eastern NC style barbecuers cook the pig whole hog with a vinegar-based sauce.

A spokesperson for the state lottery told the Observer, "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," explaining that the ticket's scent was the generic, aregional "smoky."

The Observer notes that in addition to the new scratch and sniff tickets, many state legislators are hoping to increase public interest in the lottery by increasing advertising and debuting a mobile version of the lottery.

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