Powerball $100million: Why winners of huge lottery prizes have to wait two weeks for their money - as Aussies reveal what really happens when you win big

Aussies buying a ticket in a bid to snare the massive $100million Powerball jackpot have been urged to get financial advice if they end up winning the prize money. 

The eye watering figure will be up for grabs on Thursday night, when the winning numbers are announced after the draw closes at 7.30pm. 

Half of all Australian adults are expected to enter in a bid to walk away with the jackpot after there were no division one winners in the last four Powerball draws. 

Those who win big, however, will be forced to wait two weeks before they see their windfall - for one very good reason.

The timeline is imposed to allow winners to plan beforehand and consult a financial planner about how they intend to spend their life-changing win before the huge sum hits their accounts. 

'We strongly suggest seeking professional financial advice for major lottery wins to ensure you receive the maximum benefit from your good fortune,' The Lott advises. 

Players who take out division one prizes or Lucky Lotteries Jackpot will then have the prize money deposited into their online lottery account after two weeks. 

With another big jackpot on offer, some Aussies have revealed online their bizarre experiences after claiming big lottery wins. 

'Won the money when I was [in my] late 30s. Had a person I hadn't seen since the last day of high school (like 20 f****en years ago) messaging me telling me she was about to lose the house and [a] hundred acre property she inherited because she couldn't work,' another wrote. 

One winner urged others who strike it lucky to stay on top of how much they spend and what they chose to spend the money on. 

'We won the lotto. We are a smart and well-educated couple and we determined it wouldn't change us. It was an Oz Lotto between $1-10million,' they said. 

'I was able to afford nice clothes, nice outfits. Louis Vuitton hand bags, Burberry coats, new car. We could eat at nice restaurants. 

'But then that became our new normal. Until we couldn't afford our new normal anymore. It hit us one day how much of our savings we'd gone through.'

Another Aussie recalled how a friend who won $1million quickly consulted a financial adviser 'when people started lining up at her door'. 

In January 2023 an American man who won $1.35billion was accused in a lawsuit of lying about sharing his winnings with his family after he won a massive lottery prize.  

The bombshell accusation came after he sued his ex-partner for breaking a non-disclosure agreement by telling his family about his big win. 

Aussies have been warned to not be tempted to overspend when they receive from their winnings.

Research has found 70 per cent of lottery winners end up broke, with a third declaring bankruptcy.

Some Aussies revealed in reddit threads how lottery wins went horribly wrong for friends and family. 

One Aussie described the moment a family member won the Lotto as an event that 'ruined' their extended family.

'My uncle won in 2014, and he left the country because my aunt started telling everyone. It ruined my family,' they said.

Daily Mail Australia earlier covered the story of William Bampton, who won $986,212.30 on the Tattslotto Golden Casket in 2018.

His son Larry revealed the terrible toll the win took on his family after the 92-year-old man shared the winnings with his son but left his daughter out. 

The elderly man put a $50,000 deposit on a new home for his son less than two weeks after snaring the massive prize. 

He refused to share the money with his daughter because he didn't want her husband to have access to a share of the winnings. Larry revealed their father no longer speaks with him or his sister.