Tomas Munoz lottery win turns lucky 7 into $396,060 payout
Biscoe resident Tomas Munoz chose a $600,000 cash option after his Triple Red 777 ticket landed a $1 million top prize.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Tomas Munoz lottery win began with a $10 ticket and a number he says is his own: 7. The Biscoe resident won the first $1 million top prize in North Carolina’s new Triple Red 777 Jackpot game, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Munoz bought the ticket at Candor V Mart on South Main Street in Candor, then scratched it in the store, the lottery said in its July 29 post. “Seven is my number,” Munoz told lottery officials, explaining that he was born on the 7th in ’77.
He said the result brought an immediate physical rush: “I felt emotions all over my body.” UPI reported the same purchase location, number-7 explanation and winning result a day later.
How much did Tomas Munoz receive from his $1 million lottery win?
The $1 million top prize was not paid to Munoz as a $1 million one-time check. At lottery headquarters, officials offered him a choice between $50,000 a year for 20 years or a $600,000 lump sum, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Munoz chose the cash option. After required tax withholdings, the lottery said, he received $396,060. The difference between a headline prize, a cash selection and the money received after withholding is part of how lottery payouts work.
Munoz plans to put some of the proceeds into investments and keep working on classic-car restorations, according to the lottery and UPI.
What is the Triple Red 777 Jackpot game?
Triple Red 777 Jackpot is a $10 North Carolina scratch-off game that debuted in July 2026 with three $1 million top prizes, the lottery said. Munoz’s win accounted for the first of those prizes.
Two $1 million prizes remained unclaimed when the lottery published its account on July 29. That figure was a snapshot at the time of the agency’s post, not a current count.
The winning ticket’s 777 branding made it an easy pick for Munoz, based on his stated attachment to the number. The lottery’s report does not say that his choice of number affected the result.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.