Jose Marquina couldn’t believe his luck when he scratched off his Virginia Lottery Cash Fever ticket and saw he’d hit a huge prize. Overwhelmed, he handed the ticket to his wife, asking her to finish scratching it. She confirmed the incredible news: they were $500,000 richer.
“I’m so happy! I nearly cried!” Marquina said, calling it his lucky day. He is the first top-prize winner in the Cash Fever game, which offers three top prizes of $500,000, meaning two more are still up for grabs. The game has overall odds of 1 in 5.9, with odds of winning the top prize set at 1 in 612,000.
Marquina bought the winning ticket at Euro Market Mobil on Leesburg Pike in Falls Church. With his winnings, he and his wife plan to purchase a home.
The Virginia Lottery directs all its profits toward K-12 education in the state. Last year, Marquina’s home city of Arlington received more than $6.3 million in Lottery funds for local schools, contributing to the $934 million raised statewide for education in 2024—about 10% of Virginia’s entire K-12 budget.