House cleaner wins NC lottery ‘grand fortune’ jackpot at 2 am. ‘This is insane’

A mother of three who cleans houses for a living said she wavered between tears and laughter after hitting a six-figure lottery jackpot playing Monopoly online.

Chelsea Carter beat odds of 1 in 5 million to win the progressive ”grand fortune” jackpot, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.

She spent $10 and won $626,543, officials said in a news release.

It happened at 2 a.m. as her husband slept — but not for long — and she said he was reluctant to buy into her claims of getting rich.

“I was in shock. ... I started shaking my husband telling him to wake up. I go ‘I just won $626,000,’ and he laughed and closed his eyes,” Carter said.

“This is insane. ... I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, it’s surreal.”

She picked up the money on Friday, Sept. 12, which was also Carter’s 40th birthday, lottery officials said. The prize came to $449,548 after state and federal tax withholdings.

“The best birthday present ever,” Carter told lottery officials. “I want to turn 40 every year if this is going to happen.”

Carter, who lives in Ocean Isle Beach, plans to invest in some land, then use the rest “as a safety net for her three kids,” officials said.

“It’s a blessing. ... Everyday people can win something like this, and we did,” she told lottery officials.

The Monopoly digital game is played online only and plays cost 50 cents to $30. The jackpot continues to grow until someone wins.

This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 4:50 AM with the headline "House cleaner wins NC lottery ‘grand fortune’ jackpot at 2 am. ‘This is insane’."