Disappointing Stories Reveal What It’s Really Like To Win The Lottery

Jeff Gentner/AP Lottery players everywhere dream of striking a multi-million-dollar jackpot with a winning ticket. But there's a dark side to coming into a windfall of sudden wealth if you're not careful. Here's what it's really like to win the lottery. Becoming substantially wealthier thanks to a tiny piece of paper would make your life so much better, right? In fact, recent research suggests that lottery winners are more satisfied with life than those who lost the lottery and that this happiness is lasting, Business Insider reports. But winning a lottery jackpot can also have some unwanted side effects. Here's what it's really like to win the lottery.Lottery players everywhere dream of hitting the jackpot. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images The idea of striking rich is enticing enough for the average American to spend $207 a year on lottery tickets. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Source: CBS News In reality, though, your chances of actually winning are pretty slim — you have a better chance at getting struck by lightning than you do at winning a Mega Millions or Powerball contest. Tony Dejak/AP Source: CBS News and National Geographic See the rest of the story at Business InsiderSee Also:The Mega Millions jackpot is at a record-high $868 million — here's which states spend the most buying lottery ticketsThe combined jackpots for the next Powerball and Mega Millions are over $1 billion — here are 8 over-the-top things you could buy if you wonPowerball and Mega Millions have a combined jackpot over $1 billion — here are the first 2 things the winners should doSEE ALSO: 20 lottery winners who lost every penny