$1M Won By Delray Beach Man Who Was Cut In Line At Publix: FL Lottery

DELRAY BEACH, FL — A Palm Beach County man claimed a $1 million prize while playing the 500X The Cash scratch-off game, Florida Lottery said.

Stephen Munoz Espinoza, 43, of Delray Beach was cut in line by another shopper while waiting to use the ticket machine at the grocery store before purchasing his winning ticket at the customer service counter.

"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,” he told Florida Lottery officials. “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!"

He and his wife plan to use his winnings to buy a home for their family.

Munoz Espinoza chose to receive his prize as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000, which he claimed at Florida Lottery’s Tallahassee headquarters.

He purchased his winning ticket from the Publix at 555 Northeast 5th Ave. in Delray Beach. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission.

500X THE CASH, a $50 game, 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, Florida Lottery said. The game's overall odds of winning are 1-in-4.50.