The Winning Ticket

A simple belief in the power of a lucky number has paid off in a major way for a North Carolina man. Tomas Munoz, a resident of Biscoe in Montgomery County, has claimed the first $1 million top prize in the new "$10 Triple Red 777 Jackpot" scratch-off game from the NC Education Lottery.

Munoz's decision to purchase the winning ticket was driven by a personal and lifelong connection to the number 7. "Seven is my number," Munoz told lottery officials. "I was born on the 7th in '77." This connection led him to select the "$10 Triple Red 777 Jackpot" ticket from the Candor V Mart on South Main Street in Candor. He scratched the ticket immediately at the store counter and experienced an overwhelming reaction when the numbers aligned for the top prize. "I felt emotions all over my body," he recalled .

Claiming the Prize

Munoz arrived at lottery headquarters on Monday, July 28, to officially claim his prize . As is standard for large lottery winnings in North Carolina, he was presented with a choice: receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 per year over 20 years, or accept a one-time lump sum payment of $600,000 . He chose the lump sum option.

The final take-home amount was significantly lower than the headline $1 million figure due to mandatory tax withholdings. After the federal withholding of 24% and North Carolina state income tax withholding of approximately 4.5%, Munoz's final payout was $396,060 . This difference is a common point of discussion for lottery winners, as the advertised jackpot does not reflect the taxes and the decision between annuity and lump-sum payments.

Prize Money Plans

With his winnings in hand, Munoz has clear plans for the future. He intends to put a significant portion of the money into investments to secure his financial well-being. Additionally, he plans to continue funding his long-time passion for restoring classic cars, a hobby that will now receive a substantial financial boost .

About the Triple Red 777 Jackpot Game

The Triple Red 777 Jackpot game (Game #49) was launched by the NC Education Lottery on July 3, 2026 . It is a $10 scratch-off ticket that features simple gameplay: players match any of their numbers to the winning numbers to win the prize shown. Revealing a red "77" symbol doubles a prize, and revealing a red "777" symbol multiplies it by ten .

The game was introduced with three top prizes of $1 million. As of the time of Munoz's win, he has become the first person to claim one of these top prizes, leaving two $1 million prizes still unclaimed in the print run .

The overall odds of winning any prize on the ticket are 1 in 3.80 . However, the odds of winning the specific $1 million top prize are significantly steeper, at 1 in 1,465,160 . The game is a standard lottery product where the appeal is the possibility of a large return on a small investment.

The Illusion of Control

While Munoz's story is a genuine and heartwarming account of a personal connection leading to a major win, it also inadvertently highlights a well-documented psychological phenomenon. Psychologist Ellen Langer's landmark 1975 study found that lottery players who chose their own tickets believed their odds of winning were meaningfully higher than those who received tickets at random—even though all tickets carried identical odds . She termed this the "illusion of control": the tendency for individuals to believe that personal significance, ritual, or choice can influence outcomes that are entirely determined by chance .

In the case of scratch-off lottery games, all prizes in a print run are predetermined before any ticket is sold. A player who picks a ticket based on a "lucky" number and a player who picks one at random are drawing from the exact same statistical pool. The feeling of intention does not alter the mathematical reality. For Munoz, however, the number 7 had a real effect—it motivated him to purchase the ticket that ultimately proved to be a winner.

Benefits for Montgomery County

The NC Education Lottery is designed not just to award prizes but also to generate funds for education across the state . Montgomery County, where Munoz lives and where the winning ticket was purchased, has been a direct beneficiary of this system.

According to lottery officials, Montgomery County has received grants totaling more than $2.6 million from lottery proceeds to support local school construction projects . These funds have been used for capital improvements at schools such as Candor Elementary School and East Montgomery Middle School. Statewide, the lottery has raised more than $13.4 billion for education since its inception in 2006, funding school construction, pre-K programs, teacher support, transportation, and college scholarships.

Responsible Gaming

The NC Education Lottery also emphasizes responsible gaming. For individuals who feel their gambling has become a problem, free and confidential support is available by calling 877-718-5543, texting "morethanagamenc" to 53342, or visiting morethanagamenc.com .

For now, Tomas Munoz's story serves as a reminder of the power of personal superstition and the life-changing potential of a single lottery ticket, even as the mathematics of chance remain unchanged.