You’re Not a Lottery Jackpot Winner until the Lottery Operator Says So, Apparently

Did I Win a Lottery Jackpot or Not?

Some of us never get to experience the thrill of winning a multi-million jackpot, then again some of us do feel it only for a moment before we find out they didn’t win a dime. It can happen to anyone, it can happen to me and you. I don’t know if I’d be more devastated if this happened to me or if never get to be in their shoes. It’s a good topic that could probably last for hours. Regardless of the outcome and the final conclusion, there are people who were put in this situation. Let’s take a look at their bitter stories and how they ended. You will, I guarantee learn a thing or two today. After all, it’s better to learn something from other people’s mistakes, right? Don’t laugh at them; you don’t want karma to get to you.

Money Laundering Just Got a New Definition – Miss Hinte’s Bitter Story

No, she didn’t launder money, but she laundered her £33m dollar jackpot. After a months-long investigation, after going back and forth without knowing for sure if she’s won or not the final blow was struck. Miss Hinte was ruled out from her multi-million-pound jackpot. So what actually happened?

She bought her ticket as any other lottery player from a lottery retail shop. She got the numbers right like any other lottery jackpot winner. Miss Hinte did everything a common lottery player would do. But, being common can end pretty badly. She’s just a human being and what do human beings do? They can forget. Memory is tricky. Sussane Hinte claimed she forgot the lottery ticket in a pair of pants and she washed it along with the rest of her clothes. Sussane seems to have a pretty dark history. She moved from Germany to the UK more than a decade ago. If she was that honest, she wouldn’t have been called to court 6 times over the past 6 years. She wouldn’t be accused of theft on two occasions. One of these thefts includes an allegation that she stole a handbag with a lottery ticket inside. I can’t judge her. I don’t know what was she experiencing, but if she did all of this I guess she finally met karma.

Prematurely Spending the Prize – A Player from the Doubs Region in France

I may not know how exciting is to win a jackpot, but I sure know how it feels to win a memorable prize. A lady from France thought she won a mouthwatering lottery jackpot. She just got carried away, I guess. I understand that she was confused in the beginning, but I’d look twice before I go on a shopping spree and spend a few thousands of dollars, euros, or pounds. Fortunately, she was stopped in time. Imagine if she continued shopping for a few more days. After a while, the bank charges were put in force and she was asked to pay the bill. It turns out she got one number wrong. Her unexciting prize was gone from the table, but the bills were still there.

She was taken to court and was forced to pay the bank overdraft. She was charged with a suspended prison sentence and was ordered to clear her debt as soon as possible.

She tried to hide the evidence stating that her handbag was stolen with the checkbook inside. Unfortunately, she got caught by one of the nearby CCTV. It went from bad to worse. Although she was only €4,000 in debt somebody has to pay the bills.

A Quasi Lottery Jackpot Winner – He Did It Out of Pure Love

Howard Walmsley is a painter and a decorator who was experiencing certain problems with his marriage. He’s pretty smart I’ll tell you that, but the reach of the truth can extend quite a lot. First and foremost, he didn’t win a single cent. He faked it. He managed to trick banks, lawyers, car dealers, real estate agents, etc. Howard, unlike our previous example, spent a bit more than one might expect. After all, with a £3m lottery jackpot, one can expect to buy quite a lot of things. In order to fake it well, he had to go to the extreme. He bought a £300,000 mansion, and a £60,000 Jaguar and they started living as real millionaires. That’s until they got a knock on their door. Howard was expecting this. They had to sell their property and return the goods they bought and they moved into a caravan.

He actually fulfilled his purpose. His wife realized why he’d done all of this, to save their marriage. In wealth and in poverty she will stay by his side.

Nothing Illegal, I Guess Some People Don’t Know When to Stop

Then again, there are those who keep their tickets neat, they are the rightful winner of the lottery jackpot, but they do get to spend a lot, or in this situation gamble a lot. Meet Evelyn Adams, a two-time lottery jackpot winner who won more than $5m in total. After a period of 20 years, she became one of the few jackpot winners that ended up living in a trailer. As a compulsive gambler, she managed to gamble away all of her money. I guess she’s the definition of big jackpot spenders. Don’t be like her! You don’t want to be on our wall of shame. Despite the lottery provider giving her two jackpots, she just couldn’t take it.