I won $1 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket but became 'a statistic' (2024)

A LOTTERY winner who won a million dollars in price money has admitted that he is now broke.

Eight years after winning a scratch-off jackpot, the lottery player said he is still struggling to pay back his debt.

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"I'm a former lottery winner. I won a million dollars on a scratch ticket in the state of Virginia when I was 28. I'm 36 now and I'm down to zero," Steven said on a Youtube show called The Ramsey Show Highlights.

A chunk of his winnings were taken by state and federal taxes.

However, in the span of eight years, the winner said he couldn't stop feeding his addiction.

After winning the scratch-off, he lost the prize money after trying his luck at the casino and betting on sports.

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"I am a part of that statistic that 80 or 90% of lottery winners lose it. I swore that I wouldn't be but here I am," he added.

"I paid off my debts except for one," he admitted.

"I had two student loans I did not pay off. The federal student loan I paid off. The private student loan that's the debt that I carry today."

Steven is currently a restaurant manager who makes around $75,000 in annual income.

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On the Youtube show, Steven revealed that he still owed about $29,000in debt with only $6,000 set aside in his savings account.

"I know it's frustrating and and again I think you need help and I would absolutely go and get with a therapist," one of the co-hosts recommended.

Powerball player falls one number short but still wins $1 million prize – officials are asking winner to come forward

"I would make a couple phone calls today. I think you need to take action on this and also some accountability," they added.

Nearly one-thirdof lottery winners eventually go bankrupt within three to five years, according to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

Many lottery winners spend their winnings on bad investments or extravagant purchases.

However, several fall victim to scammers and harassment from friends or even complete strangers.

Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:

  • Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
  • Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
  • Never chase their losses
  • Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling online.

Experts advise lottery winners to wait at least a week to make the claim so that they have time to plan what they'll do before the money hits their bank account.

Even after that, lottery winners should "wait at least six months to make any big-ticket purchases — and then never spend more than a small chunk of their winnings (usually 3-4%) per year," as reported by USA Today.

Some addiction specialists say more people are fighting these extreme compulsions for scratch-off tickets and that state officials need to start seriously addressing this problem.

Lottery critics have slammed certain states for failing to distribute revenue to public services and programs to fight gambling addiction.

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Meanwhile, one lottery player missed a jackpot by one number had his misfortune reversed a day later - with a $790,000 win.

And lottery officials are urging players to check their tickets for an unclaimed $278,000 prize.

Responsible gambling

Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:

  • Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
  • Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
  • Never chase their losses
  • Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
  • National Council on Problem Gambling –https://www.ncpgambling.org/
  • Gamble Aware –www.begambleaware.org

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on1-800-522-4700or go toncpgambling.org/chat

I won $1 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket but became 'a statistic' (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you win 1 million on the lottery? ›

By default, all Powerball, Mega Millions and SuperLotto Plus jackpots are paid in 30 graduated installments. A winner is given the opportunity to choose the cash value of their jackpot prize within 60 days following their approved claim.

What are the statistics of winning the lottery? ›

The odds in any lottery are about one in 300 million. That's about 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.6 million for Mega Millions. What's more likely? Many, many things, including getting hit by lightning.

How much is the 1.3 billion lottery after taxes? ›

The winner will now get to pick between receiving the $1.13 billion payout spread across 30 annual payments in 29 years or a lump sum cash prize of $537.5 million—usually the popular pick among winners. The cash prize will drop to $408.5 million after a mandatory federal tax withholding of 24% is deducted.

Which scratchcard is most likely to win? ›

Ghost Pepper Scratch (94.48%)

Multiple wins are possible on Ghost Pepper Scratch - potentially up to 9 on the same card, although 4 is the most we encountered while playing.

How much tax do you pay on $1 million lottery winnings? ›

How much do I pay in taxes if I win 1,000,000? If your gross prize for lump sum payout is $1,000,000, you need to pay $334,072 in total tax ($240,000 federal withholding, plus the remaining $94,072 for single filing status in 2021).

Who won the lottery 14 times? ›

In the 1990s, Stefan Mandel won the lottery. Over and over and over again. James is a published author with four pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.

What is the statistically best way to play the lottery? ›

“The only way to really increase the odds of winning any lottery is to buy more tickets. The more tickets you buy, the more chances you have to win,” Kapoor said. “I've seen it all and those tips are usually technically true but useless, or are just not true,” said Lesser, who maintains a website on lottery literacy.

What state has the most successful lottery? ›

New York state is home to the most Mega Millions jackpot winners, with 42 winning tickets sold in the Empire State. California follows with 36 winning tickets sold in-state.

Do lottery winnings affect social security? ›

Do lottery winnings count as earned income for Social Security purposes? Lottery winnings are not considered earned income, no matter how much work it was purchasing your tickets. Therefore, they do not affect your Social Security benefits.

What is the lump sum payout for 1 million dollars? ›

On a $1 million payout, you would get $650,000 in a lump sum before taxes. If you choose the annuity version, you would get 20 annual payments of $50,000 before taxes.

How much would the 1.5 billion lottery take after taxes? ›

Your total annual payment in California would be about $32,587,045 post federal taxes. After 30 years, this makes your total jackpot $977,611,350. For a lump sum payout, you'll get $679,800,000 before tax deductions. According to State Farm, these payouts are usually about 60% of the total value.

What is the most popular Scratch? ›

The most popular game on Scratch is Paper Minecraft v11. 6 (Minecraft 2D), with over 400,000 hearts. This is according to scratchstats.com and their page dedicated to the "most loved Scratch projects." Next most popular is Geometry Dash v1.

Who is the most active scratcher? ›

The user on Scratch known as Griffpatch is the most followed and in many peoples eyes possibly the most inspiring and advanced Scratcher of all time. He is a ' professional college-educated programmer who does Scratch in his spare time'.

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