in the money

Placing first, second or third in a contest on which a bet has been placed, especially a horse race. For example, My luck held today, and I ended up in the money . [c. 1900]

Also, in the chips . Rich, affluent. For example, When he's in the money, he's extremely generous to his friends , or After that box-office bonanza, she's in the chips . The chips in the variant presumably allude to poker chips. [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]