SC man feels roller coaster of emotions after $1m jackpot win

An incredibly lucky man from South Carolina played a digital instant game and was surprised by a life-changing million-dollar jackpot.

The fortunate winner, a Fort Mill, South Carolina, resident, hit the jackpot from the North Carolina Education Lottery's Monopoly game.

"A wild roller coaster of emotions"

The lucky man lives in South Carolina but works in North Carolina.

He recently decided to give the Monopoly game a try with a $30 digital instant play.

Little did he know that this $30 digital instant game would bring him a life-changing jackpot of $1.03m.

The Fort Mill resident won the top level "Grand Fortune" jackpot in the popular game on January 22, 2026.

The win felt overwhelming and the lucky lottery player laughed saying: "I took a lap and took a minute to calm down," Casino Guru News learned from a press release.

Recalling the moment of the unexpected windfall, the fortunate man added: "That was a wild roller coaster of emotions."

The winner, who beat the odds of 1 in 1.6m, immediately contacted his wife to give her the good news.

Once his wife answered the phone he said: "Hey our lives just changed."

However, the winner's wife was in disbelief, so he had to persuade her that they indeed won $1.03m from a $30 digital instant game.

The Fort Mill man admitted that he will use the winnings to pay bills.

Monopoly jackpot was reset

The cost per play for the North Carolina Education Lottery's Monopoly digital instant game is between $0.50 and $30.00.

The overall odds of winning any prize from the popular game are 1 in 3.89, while the odds of winning the jackpot vary depending on the price per play.

After the win of the South Carolina man, the game's jackpot was reset to $150,000.

At the time of writing, the jackpot from Monopoly is an estimated $389,507.

Image credit: North Carolina Education Lottery