One number away from Mega Millions jackpot veteran still celebrates big surprise

Automatic multiplier turned a routine win into a much bigger score

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — One number stood between a Prince George’s County retiree and a Mega Millions jackpot worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but an automatic multiplier still transformed his winning ticket into a $30,000 payday.

The retired military veteran matched four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball in the July 14 Mega Millions drawing to claim a third-tier prize. At first, he believed he had won the standard $10,000 prize, only to discover his ticket included the game’s automatic X3 multiplier, ...