The Lottery Curse

People have been playing the lottery since ancient times. In the modern world winners can go from poor to obscenely rich in an instant. Some of those winners lose their fortune just as quickly. In popular culture they are described as being victims of "The Lottery Curse". Is the lottery curse real? Do those who win lotteries benefit from the experience or are their lives usually ruined? If you watch our entire episode then you will have the answer. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:56 The History Of The Lottery 04:41 Andrew Jackson Whitaker Junior 07:12 Lara And Roger Griffiths 08:31 Evelyn Marie Adams 09:58 David Lee Edwards 11:46 Is The Curse Real? 13:28 Conclusion First we cover a brief history of the lottery. The first written evidence of the practice comes from China during the Han Dynasty. Ancient Keno sheets have been found from those who participated. Keno sheets are still used in casinos today. Lotteries began in Europe during the 15th century. Normally they were used by towns to raise funds for fortifications. The first lottery in England took place under Queen Elizabeth I in 1566. And another was used to help fund colonization of the new world in 1612. In the North American colonies lotteries were used to help pay for the French and Indian War. In 1758 Massachusetts held one to raise money for an expedition to attack Canada. And during the Revolutionary War Benjamin Franklin created one to help buy cannons for Philadelphia. The lotteries we know today became common during the 20th century. Those who want to play buy a ticket and choose some numbers. A random drawing then selects winning numbers. A ticket that matches the random drawn numbers wins the jackpot. Andrew Jackson Whittaker Jr. won the lottery in 2002. He was already wealthy before winning. But adding more than $100 million dollars to his bank account didn't help him stay calm. He bought a Lamborghini and drove around throwing cash out the window. He also visited strip clubs a lot. Ultimately his life was destroyed by the money. His daughter and granddaughter both died. Then Andrew's house burned down. And finally he died in 2020. Lara and Roger Griffiths were a happy UK couple in 2005. They won the national lottery and began spending their winnings as quickly as possible. Expensive vacations and new vehicles were on the list. And so was Roger's dream of flipping houses. Then he wanted to be a rock star. And finally he wanted to run a beauty salon. The family fortune was dispersed and Lara divorced Roger. Evelyn Marie Adams has the distinction of winning the lottery not just once but twice! She won in 1985 and 1986 earning over $5 million. Unfortunately she was a compulsive gambler and far too generous. Evelyn was completely broke by 2012. David Lee Edwards won the lottery in 2001. He was a former felon with few job prospects who was suddenly given a new lease on life. He bought expensive houses, a private jet, cars, and a lot of cocaine. Eventually he was living in a storage unit wallowing in his own filth. David died in 2013. Do these people represent the path most lottery winners take? Or is the lottery curse pure fiction? We explain the latest research for you and give a definitive answer. If you enjoyed this episode then please hit the link button. And consider subscribing to our channel. We have a patreon page if you want to give to your local history nerds:   / badthingsinhistory   There is some merchandise available, believe it or not: https://badthingsinhistory.com/merch And you can find us on reddit if you just like going there:   / badthingsinhistory