Allen Peterson of Raleigh enjoyed a Sunday at home playing digital instants when he suddenly hit a $143,324 jackpot.

“I was about to cash out, and then confetti showed up on the screen and said, ‘You won the grand prize,’” he said. “I’m still in shock.”

Peterson won the top level ‘Gold’ jackpot on a $5 ticket in the Jackpot Spectacular game. The digital instant game features a progressive jackpot that can be won at any time. The odds of that win are 1 in 8 million.

“I have never won anything like that in my life,” Peterson said.

He claimed his prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $102,837.

He plans to invest his money and potentially start a business.

In the Jackpot Spectacular digital instant game, a player can play from 50 cents to $50. After Peterson won the jackpot, it restarted at $80,000 and has grown to over $100,000 as of Thursday morning.

Digital instant games are played exclusively online on the lottery’s website or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Fifty-three different games are available to play online now.

For details on how $62.7 million raised by the lottery made a difference for Union County education programs in fiscal year 2024, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.