DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A Florida man came up big after someone stepped in front of him as he waited to buy a scratch-off ticket at a lottery machine.
According to a news release from the Florida Lottery, Stephen Munoz Espinoza, 43, of Delray Beach, claimed a $1 million prize from the 500X The Cash scratch-off game on Wednesday.
Espinosa’s good fortune came after someone else jumped in front of him in line at a lottery machine at a Publix supermarket in Delray Beach. Espinosa decided to walk to the customer service desk and buy the $50 ticket there.
If you think patience doesn’t pay off, click the link to find out how Stephen Espinoza of #DelrayBeach managed to keep his cool and stroll out of Publix—a gentleman and a millionaire! 👉https://t.co/9AnhlP59Mv pic.twitter.com/3OplMJEF1H
— Florida Lottery (@floridalottery) January 25, 2023
“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,” Espinosa said in a statement to 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.”
Imagine how the other customer felt.
Espinoza decided to take a lump-sum amount of $820,000 before federal taxes, WFLA-TV reported. He and wife said they planned to use their newfound windfall to buy a home, lottery officials said.
The Publix store in Delray Beach will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket, according to WPTV.
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