Lightning doesn’t usually strike the same place twice, but for some folks in the Sunshine State, it feels like it might as well. One day you’re just a regular guy from Jupiter, Florida, stopping by a local shop for a quick errand. The next, your name is across every news ticker in the state.
That's the reality for Inocencio Cintron.
He isn't a celebrity. He isn't a high-rolling gambler. Honestly, he was just a 67-year-old man who decided to drop five bucks on a whim. That five-dollar bill turned into a life-changing $1 million top prize.
The Five-Dollar Spin That Changed Everything
Most people walk into a Stop N Shop looking for a gallon of milk or maybe a pack of gum. On a seemingly ordinary day, Cintron walked into the Stop N Shop Food store at 391 Seabrook Road in Tequesta. He didn't go for the high-stakes $50 tickets or the complex multi-state draws. He picked up a ticket for "The Cash Wheel," a $5 scratch-off game.
It's kinda wild when you think about the math.
The odds of hitting that specific $1 million top prize in The Cash Wheel are roughly 1-in-2,963,170. To put that in perspective, you’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning or potentially even become a pro athlete than you are to scratch off those specific winning numbers.
Yet, there he was.
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Cintron defied those nearly 3 million-to-1 odds. When he realized what he had in his hands, the world probably felt a lot smaller. He didn't wait around, either. He headed straight to the Florida Lottery headquarters to claim his prize.
Taking the Lump Sum: The $605,016 Reality
When you win "a million dollars," the taxman and the lottery’s payout structures have a funny way of shrinking that number. You basically have two choices: 30 annual payments or a one-time, lump-sum payment.
Inocencio Cintron chose the money upfront.
- Total Prize: $1,000,000
- Payout Choice: One-time lump sum
- Actual Check Amount: $605,016.40
While $600k is a far cry from a million, it's still "quit your job" or "buy that house in cash" money for most people. Especially at 67, taking the money now rather than waiting 30 years—when you'd be 97—is usually the move most financial advisors would agree with.
The store that sold him the ticket didn't walk away empty-handed either. The Stop N Shop in Tequesta received a $2,000 bonus commission just for being the lucky location that sold the winner. It's a win-win for the local economy, albeit a much smaller one for the shop owner.
Why The Cash Wheel Game?
You might wonder why someone would pick "The Cash Wheel" over the dozens of other neon-colored tickets behind the counter.
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Basically, the Florida Lottery designs these games to have different "feels." Some games have huge top prizes but very few winners. Others have lower top prizes but a lot more smaller wins along the way. The Cash Wheel sat in that sweet spot. It featured more than $62 million in total cash prizes. Even if you didn't hit the million, the overall odds of winning anything were 1-in-4.05.
For Cintron, that 1-in-4 chance turned into the ultimate jackpot.
What Most People Get Wrong About Florida Winners
There’s this misconception that lottery winners just disappear into a cloud of champagne and luxury cars. In Florida, the law is a bit more transparent.
Unlike some states where you can remain entirely anonymous, the Florida Lottery is required by law to disclose the winner’s name and city of residence. You can’t hide. This is why we know Inocencio Cintron is from Jupiter and exactly where he bought his ticket.
The "Florida Man" trope usually involves something chaotic or bizarre. But the story of Florida lottery winner Inocencio Cintron is actually quite grounded. It’s about a local senior citizen getting a massive break at a time in life when most people are looking toward retirement and financial security.
The Aftermath of a Sudden Windfall
What happens after the cameras stop clicking? For a lot of winners, the pressure is actually higher than it was when they were broke.
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Honestly, the "lottery curse" is a real thing people talk about, but it usually hits the folks who win $100 million and don't know how to say "no" to cousins they haven't seen in twenty years. A $600,000 win is different. It’s enough to be comfortable, but not enough to be reckless.
Experts like those from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) often suggest that winners should do absolutely nothing for the first six months. No big purchases. No quitting jobs. Just let the reality sink in. We don't know exactly how Cintron spent his money—and he has every right to that privacy—but his story serves as a reminder of how quickly a $5 decision can change the trajectory of a life.
Lessons from the Inocencio Cintron Story
If you’re looking at this and thinking about heading to the nearest gas station, here are a few actionable takeaways from how this win went down:
- Stick to a budget. Cintron won on a $5 ticket. You don't need to spend $50 to win big. If you're going to play, play the lower-cost games that still offer solid top prizes.
- The Lump Sum isn't always "less." While the $605k figure looks smaller than $1 million, if that money is invested wisely in a diversified portfolio (even at a modest 5-7% return), it can potentially grow back toward that million-dollar mark over time without the 30-year wait.
- Check the remaining prizes. Before you buy a scratch-off, check the Florida Lottery website. They list exactly how many top prizes are left for each game. If a game like The Cash Wheel has zero top prizes left, you’re literally throwing your money away if you're hunting for the jackpot.
- Local shops matter. Supporting the small "Mom and Pop" convenience stores sometimes pays off for the community too, as seen with the commission paid to the Tequesta Stop N Shop.
Florida remains one of the most active lottery states in the country. Since its inception in 1988, the Florida Lottery has contributed billions to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. So, while Inocencio Cintron got the million, a small fraction of every losing ticket goes toward keeping Florida's schools running.
It’s a game of luck, sure. But for a 67-year-old man in Jupiter, that luck was exactly what he needed at exactly the right time.
If you find yourself holding a winning ticket, the first thing you should do is sign the back of it immediately. A lottery ticket is a "bearer instrument," meaning whoever holds the signed ticket owns the prize. After that, find a tax professional and a lawyer. Winning is the easy part—keeping it is where the real work begins.
To stay safe and informed about your own chances, always verify the current status of scratch-off games through the official Florida Lottery website. Knowing which games still have $1 million prizes available is the only way to play with any sort of strategy.