Many of the news we have about the lottery emphasize the upsides; how people’s lives are changed for the better by significant lottery wins.  But Jane Cunningham, who won a £7,544,200 jackpot in December 2008 knows that when people find out, life turns upside down.

How do most people celebrate a life-changing lottery win?  Watch this emotionally charged advert from the El Gordo Lottery in Spain.

While most people celebrate a big win with smiles, laughter and wine, poor people are almost always initially overcome by emotion. 

It seems appropriate that a military veteran should win the first jackpot of the multi-state Monopoly Millionaires’ Club lottery game.  Wayne O’Keefe, a Vietnam vet from Highland Lakes, won a $21 million jackpot on only the third draw of the new game. 

People seem to have more luck playing together; syndicates have been winning significant jackpots of late.  Now it is the turn of six builders who managed to match five numbers and a lucky star on their first play as a group.

We can’t seem to get away from advertisements.  We see them on TV and newspapers, hear them on radio, we even pass by big billboards when we head to and from work. 

We have all heard the saying that money does not guarantee happiness.  Yet a lot of us play the lottery in the hopes of landing a big win, sure to put a smile on our faces. 

A man plows snow off the streets using his truck.  The viewer can be forgiven for thinking this must be a poor man trying to make a living cleaning other people’s driveways.

Three lottery syndicates walked away with significant wins this week; 27 Grimsby workers hit a £1M prize on the inaugral EuroMillions Mega Friday draw, 5 machinists from Stalybridge get to share a £2.9M win on the UK Lotto , plus a group of school workers landed a million dollar jackpot too.

When William McCrea heard about a special Oct. 24 draw to kick off the Monopoly Millionaires’ Club game, he bought two $5 tickets and promptly forgot about them.