As Barbara Stewart of Cleveland lay in her bed playing digital instant games, she initially got confused when she landed a $1.86 million jackpot.
“I really didn’t know what was going on,” she laughed. “It was unreal. I could not sleep at all after that.”
Stewart won the top level “Grand Fortune” jackpot in the Monopoly game on a $1 play on Oct. 4. The digital instant game features a progressive jackpot that can be won at any time. The odds of that win were 1 in 50 million.
“Something just told me to play Monopoly,” she said.
Stewart has three grandchildren and one great-grandchild and she plans to use her big win to help take care of them.
“This came right on time,” Stewart said. “It’s a great feeling.”
She claimed her prize Friday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $1,335,534.
In addition to helping her family, Stewart plans to do some repairs to her home.
“Now I can fix whatever needs to be fixed,” she said.
After her big win, the jackpot reset at $150,000 and has climbed over $597,000 as of Monday morning.
Digital instant games are played exclusively online on the lottery’s website or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Fifty-five different games are available to play online now.
The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program helps North Carolinians make the most of their lottery play. Visit ncplaysmart.com to learn about all things lottery, from tips on how odds work to how to enter bonus drawings.
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