TALLAHASSEE —Today, the Florida Lottery (Lottery) announces that Stephen Munoz Espinoza, 43, of Delray Beach, claimed a $1 million prize from the 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000.00.
Munoz Espinoza shared with lottery officials that the big win was still hard to believe. “It was the end of a long day, and I was tired. I stopped at Publix and was about to buy a ticket at the machine when a man cut right in front of me. Instead of saying something, I decided I’d just buy a ticket at the counter instead. I can’t believe I won a million dollars!” Espinoza and his wife shared they plan to buy a home for their family.
Munoz Espinoza purchased his winning ticket from Publix, located at 555 Northeast 5th Avenue in Delray Beach. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $50 game, 500X THE CASH, features a top prize of $25 million—the largest ever offered on a Florida Scratch-Off game—and the best odds to become an instant millionaire! The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-4.50.
Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 77 percent of ticket sales in fiscal year 2021-2022. Since inception, Scratch-Off games have generated more than $17.06 billion for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).
