Even small group wins can lead to huge fights over who paid, who played, and who owns the winning ticket. Avoid the common pitfalls before the numbers are drawn.

When a lottery ticket hits big, the shop that sold it becomes an instant magnet. Queues triple as people seek the 'lucky' machine, changing its business forever.

Discover how state laws create a patchwork of privacy rights, making your pre-win decision about where to buy your ticket the most important one.

One California winner did exactly that. Learn how a $197 million Mega Millions ticket expired after six months, and why strict deadlines leave fortunes unclaimed.

An Austin Powerball winner's $1 million ticket is still missing and nearing its expiration. It's not in a vault, but likely in a pocket, a cupholder, or that one kitchen drawer.

A Dublin couple experienced this exact phenomenon with their €3.7 million jackpot. Learn about the brain's surprising self-preservation mechanism when faced with extreme financial change.