People buy lottery tickets for all sorts of reasons. Lottery regulars are motivated by the thought that they might finally win and considerably improve their financial situation. Casual players engage in their favorite games every once in a while for the fun and thrills of the simple guessing game. Whatever might be pushing you to play, it’s equally important to do it responsibly while also knowing how to react if Lady Luck decides to pay you an unexpected visit.
Did You Win the Lottery? Double Check Your Ticket!
If you think you have won the lottery and you are getting ready to collect a massive prize, take a deep breath in. Try to remain calm and start by carefully checking all the numbers before you pop the champagne to celebrate. It’s easy to fall into the trap of daydreaming about all the things you could buy and do with the money before it even reaches your bank account or, worse, before the numbers are officially published and you are 100% certain that you have actually won. Having visions of a new 5-bedroom house, an expensive car, or an exotic vacation could easily make you lose your focus. Just keep in mind that as many as 70% of lottery winners eventually end up losing their fortune because of lavish spending and bad investment decisions. Don’t worry about that for now, check that your ticket is actually a winning one. You might be surprised to hear about the cases of many people who wholeheartedly believed they have won only to eventually find out they were wrong.
The French Woman’s Story
In 2014, a French lottery winner thought she had won the lottery and started spending accordingly, thinking her purchases would be paid off once she would receive her lottery winnings. The woman soon understood that she had not in fact won, as one of her numbers did not match the massive Euro Millions jackpot. While she didn’t reveal her discovery to anyone, her family and close friends began to ask questions once they realized she never collected the jackpot money. Her spouse eventually discovered the truth, together with the fact that, instead of admitting her mistake, the French woman just kept spending on designer items that she could not afford. Her cheques ultimately started to bounce and she was forced to finally admit her mistake after being charged with fraud.
The Jersey Restaurant Staff Story: Right Numbers, Wrong Day
Many people create lottery syndicates in order to buy lottery tickets as a group to increase their odds of winning. This was the case with 42 staff members at Grissini’s Italian Eatery in Englewood Cliffs. The 42 employees were thrilled to learn that they won a huge jackpot, with one of the workers deciding to quit his job as soon as the good news was announced. Unfortunately, as it was later revealed, the restaurant employees had chosen the correct lottery numbers but for the wrong day. Namely, they bought tickets for Saturday’s jackpot but compared their numbers to Wednesday’s draw by mistake. Needless to say, by coincidence, their numbers matched the Wednesday draw, which made them think they won a massive $1.5 billion. The bad news did not discourage the group. On the contrary, it only convinced them to keep playing and trying their luck once again at a new jackpot.
Edwina & David Nylan: the Glitch That Cost Them $52M
Edwina and David are a British couple who used to play their local lottery on a weekly basis. In 2016, the couple wrongfully believed they had won the whopping £35,410,34 ($52,000,000) jackpot only to realize they hadn’t actually won after speaking to the lottery operator in order to claim their prize. They made the call after they failed to receive the regular confirmation email. The two missed out on the huge jackpot because of a technical error in the mobile app used by the lottery operator. While the two did choose the correct six winning numbers, Camelot claimed their request to buy the online did not go through because of an issue in the app. While the operator officially confirmed that the six numbers were registered as Edwina and David’s numbers, because of the glitch, the two were unable to claim their prize.
Final Thoughts
While the chances of winning the lottery are 1 in 300 million, this doesn’t stop millions of people from playing every week. Keeping your faith in Lady Luck and being consistent with your ticket purchases is just half of the process. In case you win, you should always double or even triple-check your numbers before getting ready to celebrate your big win. You never know when a misunderstanding, a flaw in the system, or a technicality could lead to a huge disappointment.
