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As America continues in its frenzy over the now $640-million jackpot up for grabs in tonight's Mega Millions lottery—have you bought your ticket yet? Have you bought a hundred?—we feel it is our duty to inform you that actually, you really probably don'twant to win the lottery. Even if you think you do.
RELATED: Mega Millions Remain Unclaimed for Some Unknown Reason
We have collected the true, terribly sad stories of lotto winners that show that winning the lottery, despite the seeming wonderfulness of having some $ 500 600-million more dollars (before taxes) to your name, is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, what seems like an American dream may actually be something of an American nightmare. Interestingly, the psychology that draws us to lotteries is the low-risk factor: While you might win big, your life goes on virtually unchanged if you don't, so there's not a ton to lose. What you might have to lose, at least according to historical precedent, often comes after you win. At least for these people, to whom the following occurred:
RELATED: Anonymous Kansas Mega Millions Winner Is More Laid Back Than You
Poverty, after spending all the money on drugs and hookers. This is the sad tale of "Lotto Lout" Michael Carroll, the "self-styled King of Chavs," who "turned up to collect his £9.7million [UK] win wearing an electronic offender's tag." After winning, he used his money on drugs, gambling, and "thousands of prostitutes" only to end up back on the dole after eight years of living the Lotto life. Said Carroll to the Daily Mail, "The party has ended and it's back to reality. I haven't got two pennies to rub together and that's the way I like it. I find it easier to live off £42 dole than a million." He sounds pretty chipper given the details of his story, which involve his wife leaving him and taking their daughter with her, and the loss of £100,000 over eight years in payments to prostitutes, among other rather grave financial mistakes. Poverty,
RELATED: Mega Millions Remain Unclaimed for Some Unknown Reason
We have collected the true, terribly sad stories of lotto winners that show that winning the lottery, despite the seeming wonderfulness of having some $ 500 600-million more dollars (before taxes) to your name, is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, what seems like an American dream may actually be something of an American nightmare. Interestingly, the psychology that draws us to lotteries is the low-risk factor: While you might win big, your life goes on virtually unchanged if you don't, so there's not a ton to lose. What you might have to lose, at least according to historical precedent, often comes after you win. At least for these people, to whom the following occurred:
RELATED: Anonymous Kansas Mega Millions Winner Is More Laid Back Than You
Poverty, after spending all the money on drugs and hookers. This is the sad tale of "Lotto Lout" Michael Carroll, the "self-styled King of Chavs," who "turned up to collect his £9.7million [UK] win wearing an electronic offender's tag." After winning, he used his money on drugs, gambling, and "thousands of prostitutes" only to end up back on the dole after eight years of living the Lotto life. Said Carroll to the Daily Mail, "The party has ended and it's back to reality. I haven't got two pennies to rub together and that's the way I like it. I find it easier to live off £42 dole than a million." He sounds pretty chipper given the details of his story, which involve his wife leaving him and taking their daughter with her, and the loss of £100,000 over eight years in payments to prostitutes, among other rather grave financial mistakes. Poverty,