Several South Africans who have had their lifelong dreams fulfilled after winning the national lottery have instead found their lives turning into nightmares.
In some cases they have found themselves broke and in debt and recently there have been several families in court fighting over multi-million-rand Lotto winnings.
Martin Harris of Newlands East, a former taxi conductor who won R280 000 in the late 1990s, said when he won the money he was so excited, but it didn't take long for the excitement to die - along with the money.
"I was a conductor at the time and I bought a house and a car, but at that time I was drinking and doing drugs."
Harris says within a year the car was smashed, the money was spent and he later sold the house.
"I was worse off than before I had the money because now I had a lot of debts. The money had brought more sadness because I spent more time with my friends than family and when the money was finished my friends were gone," said Harris.
Harris said he only really got his life back on track when he turned to Jesus Christ. He said he realised that money does not bring happiness and looking back he feels as if the money was "jinxed".
Two other KwaZulu-Natal men who also feel like their big winnings came with a curse are Patrick "Ncanezi" Dladla and Sibusiso Cebekhulu (not his real name), who told Independent Newspapers in 2004 how they moved from rags to riches and back to rags in less than two years.
Dladla, of Melmoth, won R1.4 million in 2002 and spent it on luxury cars including two Mercedes-Benzes, a BMW and an Isuzu 4x4. He also bought a three-bedroomed house which he later had to sell.
Cebhekhulu, from Maghabeni, won R1.9-million in 2000 and lived a life of luxury, describing how he lost it all, "writing off" seven cars, including two new Golf 4s worth R140 000 each, two taxis, one with a R13 000 music system, and a tow-truck worth R37 000.
A month ago a Pietermaritzburg couple found themselves in court after a dispute over a R10m lottery win. Reena Maslamoney was reportedly granted an urgent interim order by Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Isaac Madondo, which stopped her husband Davalin from spending her share of the win.
Davalin had reportedly spent more than R500 000 in one month, after Reena said she wanted a divorce and her R5-million because they were married in community of property.
The couple won the money in April after Reena bought a R50 "quick pick" ticket for her husband at a BP garage in Raisethorpe.
Reena argued that her husband paid R100 000 for a vehicle, put down an R80 000 deposit on a property in Pietermaritzburg and paid her debts of around R36 000.
Reena said she and her husband had experienced marital problems over the years and on May 25 she told him she wanted to proceed with a divorce and she wanted her share of the Lotto.
Last month a Durban North family found themselves in court fighting over the R8.333-million they won in 2005 in the national lottery.
After winning, Richard and Cathy Young reportedly decided to give their five children R400 000 each and gave one of their children, Raymond Young, and his wife, Katherine, an extra R400 000 to pay off their home loan, an amount that would be repaid.
The family had not been aware that there were donation taxes which the children would be required to pay, R80 000 for each R400 000 given to them as a gift.
Richard and his wife were living in a granny flat on the property of their son, Shaun, in Durban North. Judge Madondo ruled in favour of Richard and Cathy Young. He said Raymond had to pay back the outstanding R382 000 of the loan as well as his parents' legal costs.
Raymond's ex-wife was excluded from the loan repayment.
In Cape Town Jason Canterbury, who won R6.7-million in the national lottery in 2003, is standing trial in the Cape High Court for the murder of Henry "No Rules" Stevens, one of Canterbury's alleged drug runners.
Canterbury reportedly started living the high life after the 2003 win, buying a home in Kuils River, a VW Kombi and a Toyota Rav4. But he was soon out of pocket and allegedly began selling drugs.
Thembi Tulwana, spokesperson for the National Lottery operator Gidani, said that since Gidani had started operating in October 2007 they had not had winners who won large amounts and threw all the money away in a short space of time.
"Gidani offers emotional and financial advice to all winners who win R50 000 and above. Our counselling sessions have five phases."
She said after the winner has been confirmed the Winner Adviser is called in to conduct counselling sessions. These include an emotional and financial counselling phase. She said after this there is an "aftercare phase", which includes bi-weekly telephonic contact in the first month.