Chinese lottery addict loses everything

Chinese authorities are not keen on accepting the fact that despite limiting the number of legal lotteries to state-run ones, the issue of addiction needs to be treated seriously. Many Chinese are dreaming of winning the jackpot and in their quest of getting rich soon, they start a shopping spree. In many cases this leads to bankruptcy and they never recover, with a recent example being provided by a lottery addict surnamed Xiao who lost everything including his family after spending about $1 million on lottery tickets.

6 million yuan lost in six years

The lottery addict told the media that he began playing when working as a hotel manager and increased the number of tickets as his own business took off. He was a successful entrepreneur and at one point he was the proud owner of a thriving company, four apartments and just as many cars. He was married, had a son and they were living in harmony, but addiction tarnished everything and he is now broke and alone.

His intention was to pleasantly surprise his wife by winning the jackpot and that’s why he chose not to reveal his secret to anyone. Xiao bought increasingly more tickets and at one point he was spending as much as 20,000 yuan a day for tickets which is more than $3000. To put things into perspective and understand the full magnitude of his problem, it is worth mentioning that the lottery addict hired people to buy tickets on his behalf. He was willing to pay them 3000 yuan per month which is more than a decent salary in China, hoping that one day he will strike lucky and enjoy a generous return on investment.

Too late for regrets

The Chinese lottery addict sank with each ticket purchased and by the time his wife realized the problem, they had no choice but to sell an apartment. Unfortunately for Xiao and his family, the addiction was too strong and he kept buying tickets while selling other property and all the cars. The only sizable prize he won was 400,000 yuan, not enough to offset previous losses but this small victory created the illusion that he can turn things around.

His family pleaded for him to stop buying tickets but unfortunately for the lottery addict, the drive to purchase more was simply irresistible. The inevitable happened and after selling all the apartments and the cars, his wife divorced him in an attempt of limiting the losses. The destructive cycle was never ending and caught up in his desire to chase losses he lost increasingly high amounts, until there was nothing left to sell. Xiao’s unfortunate experience should serve as a cautionary tale for other lottery players, who don’t know where to pull the rip cord and allow addiction to cloud their judgment.

Check out the Myths and facts about the lottery addiction as well.