Is there a curse on national lottery winnings?

IF you're a lottery winner (or if you dream of being a winner), then you ought to be reading this.

It may seem a bit too much to fathom at first, but there may be a curse on national lottery winnings.

Tales of woe have been documented worldwide where winners of multimillion jackpots have had their lives ruined by their fortunes by scheming relatives, and deceitful friends, lending credence to the centuries-old adage, "money is the root of all evil".

Author Shirley Jackson in her gripping tale of The Lottery in a small town controlled by a coal magnate, the "winner" is stoned to death by the other participants - a not too dissimilar a fate from that of local winners of large jackpots.

Recently, Montego Bay millionaire, Christopher 'Lotto Chris' Campbell convicted and sent to prison on drug charges, only three years after winning a whopping $19 million in the national lottery. Campbell started a computer business which went bust before he ran into trouble with the law.

Hyacinth Cooke, who won $1 million and a trip for two to South Africa in the Lotto Company's Emancipation Promotion in 1998, died in February 1999 while on her trip. Reports are that Mrs. Cooke complained of feeling ill when she arrived in South Africa and died shortly afterwards.

"There was another multi-millionaire in the national lottery who met in a horrible car accident in Hopewell, Hanover, where he was impaled by a lightpole, and recently, a case in which a man in Westmoreland who had won a Porsche, hanged himself not long afterwards. Unconfirmed reports were that he was being pestered by family members and others for money, so he just did away with himself," Montego Bay editor, Lloyd B. Smith, told The Gleaner.

On Wednesday, even as the heavens opened, and rain descended on the Corporate Area in the bright daylight, hundreds of people flocked to lotto counters.

"The love of money is the root of all evil but yet still, you feel drawn to be a part of this lottery thing. See, is 'devil rain' outside, sun ah shine, and rain a fall at the same time...but mi still have to try mi luck. I don't need the 80 million, but mi woulda give away half of it," Mitzy Dunkley, a 41-year-old housewife said.

Still, superstition or not, some are hedging their bets.

"I'll take my chances. Some of those people were just careless or frighten. Hundreds of persons have won and lived great lives. I will see how it goes," Rupert Barkley, a higgler, said.

Last Wednesday's drawing equalled the $80 million record which was shared between two persons. The largest single jackpot winner won $63 million.

Since it began operating in November 1994, there have been over 200 jackpot winners, and the company has disbursed more than $3.6 billion to lucky ticket holders. The JLC has generated more than $750 million for the Social Development Foundation through the Lotto, and an additional $55 million through its other games.

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