Winning the lottery is often seen as a life-changing event, but the reality of some lottery winners who lost it all reveals a different story. In the United States, about 75% of the population believes they will be lottery winners someday, according to a Statista survey. Despite the low odds of winning, approximately 50% of Americans purchase a lottery ticket at least once a year.
The two most common lotteries in the United States are Mega Millions and Powerball. People win lottery very seldom, since the Mega Millions prize analysis gives the odds of winning as 1 in 302.6 million and 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball. Ironically, the probability of dying is greater than winning a lottery!
Far more popular than the Keno Lottery, those who have won are not living the dreams of many. People intend to win so they won’t have to worry about money anymore and can escape poverty. This brings up the question: the lottery winners, where are they now?
Not all of these stories are fairy tales that end with “happily ever after”. In today’s casino news, we tell the stories from lottery winners who lost it all.
Lottery Winners Who Lost It All: Five Tragic Tales
You are about to read the stories of people who won the lottery but lost everything. They are pretty sad, but there are lessons to be learned. Remember them as you check out the mega-million prize analysis.
Steven From Charlotte: $1 Million to Zero
In 2016, Mr. Steven, from North Carolina, won the Virginia State Lottery, a whopping $1,000,000 as written on his ticket. However, according to him, the total sum he got was $766,000, out of which 211,000 was deducted as taxes, leaving him with $555,000.
Despite the high taxes, his sum is still impressive, and they must have affected his plans. Nevertheless, Mr. Steven’s path led him to lose it all—gambling. He kept buying tickets, then moved to casino games and sporting betting until he couldn’t stop. Ultimately, he became one of the broke lottery winners, but it was due to problem gambling.
Ronnie Music Jr.: $3 Million Goes to Dust
Ronnie Music Jr, in 2015, won a $ 3 million Georgia State Lottery only to be behind bars 2 years later. 45-year-old Ronnie decided to invest part of his enormous lottery winnings in a crystal meth ring. He purchased 11 pounds of the drug meth. When caught, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison. Like him, many lottery winners, today, are in shelters, jails, and on the street.
David Lee Edwards: $27 Million Wasted
David Lee Edwards’ story as one of the lottery winners who lost it all is one of rising from modest beginnings only to face significant challenges due to poor decisions. He was a pipelayer for Exxon who lived in Kentucky. Health-wise, he wasn’t doing okay. He suffered from chronic back pain due to a car accident.
In the summer of 2001, David spent $7 on lottery tickets. Luckily, he was among the four drawn winners, winning $73.7 million. Instead of an annual payment, he opted for a one-time payout of $27 million.
David’s lottery check came in September, and he began his spending spree. He bought a new home for $1.5 million, traveled via private flight, gave multiple old acquaintances money, sponsored burials, etc. Within three months, he spent $3 million.
David married 27-year-old Shawna, a single mom of three, in January 2002. Together, they spent about $12 million within a year, buying exotic cars and starting businesses like racehorses and limo service, which eventually failed.
Not too long, David filed for divorce, but he later reconciled with Shawna, who was battling with drug addiction. In October, Shawna, who had just come out of rehab, stabbed him with a crack pipe. From there on, his whole life began to crumble again.
He lost his home and started selling his cars and other possessions. Within five years, Edwards lost it all and ended up at a medical center in Ashland, where he eventually died at 58. His case is one of the few lotto-winner stories with a truly sad ending.
Evelyn Adams: Two-Time Lottery Winner
Many lottery winners who lost it all won just once, but Evelyn Adams is one of those rare lottery ticket winners stories. She won the lottery twice. In 1985, she won £3.9 million playing the lotto. Four months later, she won the $1.4 million jackpot again.
With her first jackpot, Evelyn said she paid bills to free herself from debts, created a college fund for her daughter, got a car, and helped various people. These are all good things, right? Yes, but the main issue was that she never stopped visiting casino games.
For her second jackpot payment, she opted for the annual payout of $218,000 per year. She married her fiance, who worked at the convenience store where she worked. Evelyn had plans and believed the future was settled, but years later, she became the “woman who won lottery now broke.”
By 2012, Evelyn lost it all, playing too often slot machines in casinos, becoming addicted eventually. Two decades after the first lottery payment, Evely was broke, with no place to call home, forcing her to live in a trailer park.
Billie Bob Harrell Jr.: One of the Biggest Lottery Winners Who Lost It All
Billie Bob Harrell Jr. has one of the worst lottery horror stories. He was a Home Depot shell stocker who won the $31 million Texas lotto jackpot. He was a religious man who donated to his church and individuals. But he mostly bought houses for himself, his wife, and their families.
Sadly, within two years, he became one of the lottery winners who lost it all. His marriage ended, and most people deserted him. One day, Harrell entered a small room, locked himself, and shot himself. Before he died, he said winning the lottery was the saddest thing that had happened.
Life Lessons From Lottery Winners Who Lost It All
Winning a lottery is a joy, but it could also be one’s nightmare. Aside from the unforeseen circumstances life may throw, many lottery winners’ biggest mistakes include gambling addiction, reckless purchases, and wrong payout options.
Should you also become a winner, our casino guides can provide you with important insights and advice to play responsibly if you intend to gamble, also, here are a few lessons to hold from these tales of lottery winners who lost it all:
- Responsible gambling is crucial.
- Avoid drugs at all costs. They have ruined many and will continue to do so.
- Avoid wasteful spending. Also, learn to say no to people. You can’t help everyone.
- Opting for an annual payout when you win a lottery is the best way to receive your jackpot.
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