Tampa Man Turns $5 Into $1 Million With Lottery Scratch-Off Game

TAMPA, FL — The Florida Lottery announced Wednesday that Cesar Arteaga Roque, 24, of Tampa, claimed a $1 million top prize from the $1,000,000 Gold Rush Classic scratch-off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $705,000.

Arteaga Roque purchased his winning ticket from 7-Eleven at 824 W. Waters Ave. in Tampa. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.

The $5 game, $1,000,000 Gold Rush Classic, launched in January 2019 and offers more than $200.5 million in prizes, including 32 top prizes of $1 million. The game's overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.97.