Jerome García January 15, 2026 1 min read

Navy Veteran Misses $900M Jackpot, Scoops Up $3M Consolation Prize Instead

A Navy veteran in Iowa has everything to be disappointed about after he missed the $900-million Mega Millions ticket by a single number

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One (un)lucky army veteran was disappointed to find out that a $900-million Mega Millions jackpot was within his reach until the last number proved to be the wrong one.

Nevertheless, the player can count himself fortunate, as Jaime Zavala, a former Navy man, ended up scooping up a $3-million consolation prize instead, a still worthwhile payout overall.

He is one of three people to win the same prize – the other two are based in New York and Arizona. Zavala bought his ticket and won the Veterans Day drawing.

With the money he has now received, Zavala will be able to make immediate life-altering changes, including paying off his mortgage and upgrading his 10-year-old pickup truck, which already has 250,000 miles on it.

Zavala is clearly not the only big winner from the Mega Millions lottery. As it happens, another winner cashed out a $983-million Mega Millions jackpot from the Georgia Lottery, having opted for the $452.6-million cash option.

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Jerome García

Journalist

Jerome brings a wealth of journalistic experience within the iGaming sector. His interest in the industry began after graduating from college, where he regularly participated in local poker tournaments. This exposure led him to the growing popularity of online poker and casino rooms. Jerome now channels all the knowledge he's accrued to fuel his passion for journalism, providing our team with the latest scoops online.

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