Maria Devrell News Today

Winning the lottery is an Australian fantasy, but for many, its a curse. Shocking tales reveal broken families, bankruptcies, and shattered lives as millions vanish.

Winning the lottery isnt just seen as the answer to most Australians money worries, its become a metaphor for the best luck imaginable in life.

The shocking state of a former plumber-turned-drug dealers home has been revealed in court photos, five years after the young mans life spiralled after a $22million Powerball win.

Joshua John Winslet was only 22 and living in New Zealand when he learned he was the sole winner of the enormous division one prize in 2017 - but it only took three years for his life to completely unravel.

Lottery wins are the stuff of dreams for all but turn into nightmares for many, with the temptation to spend up eventually draining fortunes and even ruining the lives of the winners.