I won $1m at 28 playing a lottery scratch-off – I swore I wouldn’t be a statistic & after 8 years I have nothing left

A FORMER lottery winner recently opened up about his experience after taking home $1 million on a scratch-off ticket.

Unfortunately, after eight years, he gambled all his money away and was left with nothing.

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Steven, a lottery winner from Charlotte, North Carolina was a caller on The Ramsey Show last year and shared how he went from a millionaire to having no money.

“So I am a part of that statistic that 80% or 90% of lottery winners lose it,” he admitted.

“I swore that I wouldn’t be but here I am,” Steven added.

He was referring to a frequently cited statistic stating that about 70% of lottery winners lose their profits within a few years.

However, the National Endowment for Financial Education dispelled that statistic.

Steven then explained that the take-home prize was $766,000 and he cashed out $555,000 after paying taxes.

After winning the lottery at 28 years old, Steven gambled his earnings away in eight years.

As soon as Steven cashed in, he turned to casinos and sports gambling.

He also bought a new car in cash and paid off most of his debts.

Steven didn’t pay off his federal student loan and was left with $29,000 in debt after losing all his lottery winnings.

“I don’t live a highly affluent lifestyle, I just gamble,” he admitted.

Steven told Ramsey Show hosts Ken Coleman and George Kamel that he suffered from a gambling addiction.

He added that he had reached out to Gambling Anonymous for help and was trying to get his addiction under control.

“I’ve always held myself accountable in all areas of life – except this,” Steven said.

LOTTO UN-LOCK

Steven isn’t the only lottery winner who was met with a string of bad luck.

Another winner shared on Reddit that cashing in allowed her to quit her job, but strained relationships with family members .

She explained how she was breaking up her winnings, and how she was planning on stretching the money until retirement.

Top lottery winners in the US

Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.

• Edwin Castro – $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
• Theodorus Struyck – $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
• Unknown winner – $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
• Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida – $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
• Unknown winner – $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
• Unknown winner – he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden – $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
• Unknown winner – $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
• Cheng and Duanpen Saephan , and Laiza Liem Chao – $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
• Yanira Alvarez – $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
• Wolverine FLL Lottery Club – $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, from Michigan.
• Unknown winner – $842.4 million Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024, from Michigan.

“The issue is. My sister and mom think we’re being selfish for not giving them more money,” she shared.

“They’re asking for a family beach home on top of the money we’ve given but we frankly don’t want to do this.

“They have also told other aunts and uncles of mine of my lottery winnings and they are constantly asking me for money and it has caused me great anxiety.”

Another lottery winner almost missed out on his prize after the store clerk attempted to steal his winnings .

The cashier, Meet Patel, scanned the winner’s tickets but discreetly threw out the one with the $1 million prize.

Surveillance footage later revealed Patel took the prize out of the trash and attempted to cash in with the Tennessee Lottery.