Navy Veteran Wins $3M Lottery Prize in Veterans Day Drawing, Missing $900M Jackpot by One Number

A Navy veteran from Iowa just won a $3 million lottery prize.

On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Jaime Zavala claimed his winnings from the Iowa Lottery’s main office in Clive after his Mega Millions ticket, purchased for a Veterans Day drawing, matched the first five numbers — and was just one number away from winning the $900 million jackpot, according to Iowa Lottery officials. 

His win made him one of three people in the country to score a prize of $3 million or more in that drawing, including one winner in New York and another in Arizona.

Zavala, who picked up his ticket for the Veterans Day drawing at the Kwik Star convenience store at 1200 Chatham Ave. in Norwalk, told lottery officials that he plans to invest most of his winnings into paying off his mortgage and upgrading his 10-year-old pickup truck, which has over 250,000 miles on it.

As for how the Mega Millions lottery works? Players are able to choose their first five numbers from a pool of 70, after which they choose another number — the Mega Ball — from a separate pool of 24. Additionally, the game features a multiplier for each play that multiplies non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

Zalava's good fortune came just a few days after another player, who opted to remain anonymous, claimed his own cash reward after winning the $983M Mega Millions jackpot two months earlier, according to a press release from the Georgia Lottery.

After choosing the cash option, the winner took home around $452.6 million before taxes. 

“We are thrilled to celebrate Georgia’s record-breaking jackpot winner and their life-changing start to the new year,” the Georgia Lottery Corp. President and CEO, Gretchen Corbin, said in a statement. “This historic jackpot was also significant for Georgia’s students, families and communities who benefit from HOPE and Pre-K.”

The winner, who was reminded to buy a ticket after seeing a billboard on the side of the road, told lottery officials that they are from Georgia and that they have family members who have benefitted from the Georgia Lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship. 

The winner also shared that they are committed to making their prize "generational and to give back to good causes."

If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.