Virginia Lottery’s Cash Fever game pays out first $500,000 prize to Arlington resident
Arlington, Virginia – A lucky Arlington resident, Jose Marquina, found himself with a winning lottery ticket, a prize so exciting he couldn’t bring himself to finish scratching it. After realizing his Cash Fever ticket had big potential, Marquina handed it over to his wife, unable to continue scratching himself.
“I couldn’t keep playing anymore,” he shared with Virginia Lottery officials. “I gave the ticket to my wife and asked her to finish scratching the ticket for me!” His wife quickly confirmed what Marquina had hoped for — a $500,000 win. Filled with joy and disbelief, Marquina said, “I’m so happy! I nearly cried! It’s my day today!”
First Top Prize Winner in Cash Fever Game
This milestone makes Marquina the first winner of the Cash Fever game’s top prize. Cash Fever, a popular Virginia Lottery scratch-off game, offers prizes ranging from $20 to $500,000, with odds of winning the grand prize set at 1 in 612,000. Even though the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 5.9, Marquina’s stroke of luck placed him as the game’s first top-prize winner, with two more top prizes still available in the game.
Marquina purchased his winning ticket at Euro Market Mobil, located at 6318 Leesburg Pike in Falls Church. Reflecting on how to use his newfound fortune, Marquina shared that he and his wife hope to put the winnings toward buying a home.
Lottery Proceeds Benefit Virginia Education
Beyond personal wins, the Virginia Lottery is committed to enhancing educational funding across the state. All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in the Commonwealth. For the fiscal year 2024 alone, the Virginia Lottery contributed more than $934 million to support K-12 education, representing about 10 percent of the state’s entire K-12 school budget.
Arlington, where Marquina resides, received over $6.3 million in lottery funds dedicated to education last fiscal year, helping to support schools and programs across the district.
For more information on how Virginia Lottery profits support local schools or to see a full list of district distributions, visitors can check out the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. General information, game rules, and online gameplay options are also available on the Virginia Lottery’s website and app. Players can also follow the Virginia Lottery’s updates and announcements on social media through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or YouTube.
As always, the Virginia Lottery encourages all participants to play responsibly.
