Caesars casino is suing the winner of a $315 million lottery jackpot, claiming he bounced checks worth $1.5 million trying to cover gambling losses.
Jack Whittaker, whose Powerball win in 2002 was at the time the largest undivided lottery jackpot, claims he doesn't owe the money.
In a filing made in response to Caesars lawsuit, Whittaker said the casino actually owes him money because it agreed to give him a percentage of revenue from a slot machine he developed and to credit his gambling losses.
The casino, owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc., filed the lawsuit in 2005, a year after it said the bad checks were written. The case came to light recently when the documents were subpoenaed in an unrelated wrongful-death lawsuit against Whittaker.
The lawsuit involves Jesse Joe Tribble, 18, who was found dead in a home owned by Whittaker in September 2004. The teen was an acquaintance of Whittaker's 17-year-old granddaughter, and the lawsuit claims she bought drugs with Whittaker's money and shared the drugs with her friends.
Tribble's father blames Whittaker, who had custody of his granddaughter. Whittaker says Tribble bought the drugs and that his granddaughter, Brandi Bragg, wasn't home when Tribble died.
The father's attorney, Tom Peyton, sought copies of surveillance tapes and other records related to Whittaker's gambling trips as part of the wrongful death lawsuit.
Since his Powerball win, Whittaker has been beset by problems. He's been arrested for drunken driving, had hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from him, and Bragg died of a drug overdose, just months after Tribble's death.
Yea it's tragic that a self made millionaire and well respected member of his community would allow himself to get into all kinds of turmoil. He won enough money to take care of his family for generations to come. Instead he let it get to him and destroy himself and his family. I still think when he offered to help his church pastors and they refused his offers for financial help to build churches etc. that Jack flipped out. He felt as tough he was abandon by the pastors and community. For whatever reason he did an about face and started down the path of destruction. And it snowballed from that point on. He had every opportunity to change the way he was living but chose the direction he is living. He may never be able to live with himself after all the tragedy. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would ask for or seek help to get straightened out. At this point to him it may seem hopeless that any kind of recovery might make a difference since the damage is done.
Yea it's tragic that a self made millionaire and well respected member of his community would allow himself to get into all kinds of turmoil. He won enough money to take care of his family for generations to come. Instead he let it get to him and destroy himself and his family. I still think when he offered to help his church pastors and they refused his offers for financial help to build churches etc. that Jack flipped out. He felt as tough he was abandon by the pastors and community. For whatever reason he did an about face and started down the path of destruction. And it snowballed from that point on. He had every opportunity to change the way he was living but chose the direction he is living. He may never be able to live with himself after all the tragedy. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would ask for or seek help to get straightened out. At this point to him it may seem hopeless that any kind of recovery might make a difference since the damage is done.
From what I've read, he already had the gambling problem and was already going to strip clubs long before he won the lottery. His granddaughter was already using drugs.
He also had a website where anyone could request anywhere from $3 grand to $3 million dollars from him.
I'm not saying he's a good guy for giving away money or even offering those churches money. I think he was about as far away from being a role model for playing the lottery.....and winning.
IT is not terrible..it is what he deserves. Anyone who had been blessed with that kind of money who has done nothing but go from one idiotic thing to another deserves that and more. He still has to win the wrongful death suit filed against him. He is pitiful to say the least.
Why am I not surprised at this latest in the long line of Jack Whittaker stories ?
The broken record just keeps on keepin on...
DD
HAPPY THURSDAY......"DD".....6/8/2206
I certainly hope you win very soon, because I would love to read a story about all the wonderful fun things that happen to BIG WINNERS....W/BIG PRIZES.....I get tired of all the doom and gloom
I wonder if one day he will actually better himself or is he going to keep on doing these tired acts.
HAPPY THURSDAY..." BELLYACHE"...
You know, for all that's said and done, Jack stays in his own world. In his town, among his family. He has done a great deal for his community, he was never selfish. He has a genuine 'wild streak' in him, that needs to be tamed, but, I think the death of his Granddaughter, who was really "his life" is what ultimately became his emotional downfall. No one expects to bury their Children let alone their Grandchildren, and Brandi was his only grandchild. He's Heartbroken. Yes, he needs counselling, but not pontificating. He is certainly not Banckrupt and not living the Donald Trump Life style, down there in Hurricane, WVA. Afterall, He can afford Gasoline, and AC.
Yea it's tragic that a self made millionaire and well respected member of his community would allow himself to get into all kinds of turmoil. He won enough money to take care of his family for generations to come. Instead he let it get to him and destroy himself and his family. I still think when he offered to help his church pastors and they refused his offers for financial help to build churches etc. that Jack flipped out. He felt as tough he was abandon by the pastors and community. For whatever reason he did an about face and started down the path of destruction. And it snowballed from that point on. He had every opportunity to change the way he was living but chose the direction he is living. He may never be able to live with himself after all the tragedy. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would ask for or seek help to get straightened out. At this point to him it may seem hopeless that any kind of recovery might make a difference since the damage is done.
The pastors refused his offer to help the churches? That's a new one to me. All the articles I'd read previously had, I thought, indicated that they had accepted the money. Here is a quote from one old article:
This week's tragedy "doesn't seem fair," said his pastor, the Rev. C.T. Mathews, for whom Whittaker is building a $4 million church on a hilltop here.
And from another:
Since then, Whittaker has been pulled between Christian charity and trouble. He is building two churches, feeding and clothing poor children and building senior citizen housing.
Both of those quotes were from articles printed in 2004.
Why am I not surprised at this latest in the long line of Jack Whittaker stories ?
The broken record just keeps on keepin on...
DD
HAPPY THURSDAY......"DD".....6/8/2206
I certainly hope you win very soon, because I would love to read a story about all the wonderful fun things that happen to BIG WINNERS....W/BIG PRIZES.....I get tired of all the doom and gloom
Yea it's tragic that a self made millionaire and well respected member of his community would allow himself to get into all kinds of turmoil. He won enough money to take care of his family for generations to come. Instead he let it get to him and destroy himself and his family. I still think when he offered to help his church pastors and they refused his offers for financial help to build churches etc. that Jack flipped out. He felt as tough he was abandon by the pastors and community. For whatever reason he did an about face and started down the path of destruction. And it snowballed from that point on. He had every opportunity to change the way he was living but chose the direction he is living. He may never be able to live with himself after all the tragedy. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would ask for or seek help to get straightened out. At this point to him it may seem hopeless that any kind of recovery might make a difference since the damage is done.
The pastors refused his offer to help the churches? That's a new one to me. All the articles I'd read previously had, I thought, indicated that they had accepted the money. Here is a quote from one old article:
This week's tragedy "doesn't seem fair," said his pastor, the Rev. C.T. Mathews, for whom Whittaker is building a $4 million church on a hilltop here.
And from another:
Since then, Whittaker has been pulled between Christian charity and trouble. He is building two churches, feeding and clothing poor children and building senior citizen housing.
Both of those quotes were from articles printed in 2004.
Right he is building not the pastors.
Jack tried donating his money to have the a churchs built i'm pretty sure he had em built. No body wants to go there.
The church of god does not knowingly accept money from gambling.
One of the first things he did after winning was go to the pastors of three churches. they dised him on the spot. Wanted no part of his lottery winings.
the links i tried to post are not working but this has been go over before. he has built a church that no one wants to go to.
This is the person that the camera's should have been following. A show about him would definitely be top rated.....if people watched The Newlyweds on MTV I know people would watch this man's circus parade. lol
He has repeatedly blamed all of his troubles on hs grand-daughter's "druggy"friends. The gambling problems, the sexual harassment, the drunk driving, etcetera, are not in any way shape or form anyone's fault but his own. And like so many "good"people he always has to blame someone else rather than accept responsibility for his own actions. Hell, anyone who has to take over half a million in cash into a seedy strip joint is obviously trying to compensate for a lack of true inner character. And I have a question for all you "christians" who automatically assume he is a good person because he donates money to organizations of your faith. When he took all that cash into the strip bar he was obviously hoping to impress one of the "ladies" into performing a service above and beyond your typical champagne room lap dance, so was he hoping to honor and cherish his wife in that way. Or maybe he was hoping to fill them with Christ's love, probably down one of their throats. Sudden wealth and money is a lot like drugs in that if you are an intelligent person with good character and common sense, and accept responsibility for your own actions you will have minimal problems. If you are a jackass to begin with, then you are just going to be a rich jackass.
And I have a question for all you "christians" who automatically assume he is a good person because he donates money to organizations of your faith.
I don't know if you are including me in the category of "all you christians who automatically assume he is a good person because he donates money to organizations of your faith," but since I was one of the few who commented about his donations to churches, perhaps I should clarify. I said nothing about whether he was a "good person" or not. I was trying to establish a fact - did the pastors refuse his donations or not? From what I read, I believe they did. It would certainly seem that at least one did from the first quote I offered above. But I admit I'm a "Johnny come lately" in a lot of this lottery news. I'd never even heard of Jack Whittaker until a few months ago. It is possible that there were additional articles printed a few years back that included information I've never seen, as it may no longer be available. And I don't pretend to have read everything about him still available, either.
I do recall that there was another winner of a large jackpot (from Florida, I think) who tried to donate to Salvation Army, and that donation was refused.
I wasn't specifically referring to you Uff Da! Just any and all that think because someone mentions Christ or christianity in public automatically makes them a good person and above reproach. If he was truly filled with the spirit of Christ he would not have even mentioned anything about it in public and just did good works in the spirit while remaining as anonymous about it as he could. So many people wear their religion on their sleeve while not actually getting the spiritually uplifting essence of the teachings.
Oops! Now that I re-read my reply above (post 19), I see that I goofed. I said, "I was trying to establish a fact - did the pastors refuse his donations or not? From what I read, I believe they did." But I meant "From what I read, I believe they accepted the donations."
It is at times like this that I wish we could edit posts for a longer period of time.
We are just as fascinated with Jack Whitaker as the world is fascinated with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Osama Bin Laden. Its interesting stuff about folks who have a chance to have it all, yet they blow it, time and again.
I think that its something that is just horrible but yet it something that makes me want to just smack the Hell right outta him!!! I mean I being a "responsible" person AS WELL as a lotto player I cannot in ANY WAY understand how someone can win CASH OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS and be that ignorant. Ok SO WHAT IF HE DID BUILD CHURCHES??? SO WHAT IF HE DID GO TO STRIP CLUBS?? The point of it is HOW HE HAS CONDUCTED HIMSELF AND WITH HIS GOOD FORTUNE that he Obviously has no grace for nor does he value it. People like that should never have been the "lucky one"
Just once I want to hear of a story where a mom or a family struggling working 50 hrs a week to eat and feed their family HIT BIG and KNOW that they will most likly be responsible with it cause THEY NEED IT someone that does what ALL he did ...what ever jack did NOT deserve it!!!
I think that its something that is just horrible but yet it something that makes me want to just smack the Hell right outta him!!! I mean I being a "responsible" person AS WELL as a lotto player I cannot in ANY WAY understand how someone can win CASH OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS and be that ignorant. Ok SO WHAT IF HE DID BUILD CHURCHES??? SO WHAT IF HE DID GO TO STRIP CLUBS?? The point of it is HOW HE HAS CONDUCTED HIMSELF AND WITH HIS GOOD FORTUNE that he Obviously has no grace for nor does he value it. People like that should never have been the "lucky one"
Just once I want to hear of a story where a mom or a family struggling working 50 hrs a week to eat and feed their family HIT BIG and KNOW that they will most likly be responsible with it cause THEY NEED IT someone that does what ALL he did ...what ever jack did NOT deserve it!!!
That's the sad reality- lottery winners are truly random, so we get what we get.
Deserving people win every once in a while.( pleeeeaaase ??)
Let's see.... Jack's in the news again... that itself isn't news.
Bounced checks??? I doubt he completely ran out of money, maybe they were to an account that he had not deposited enough into or an old account, whatever.
Was he expecting to win more than 315 million in the Casino? Isn't the best jackpot there "only" 10 million? (I thank him for visiting my home state so often! We visit his sometimes.)
Is he going to sue "Windfall" for stealing his idea?
I heard he developed a slot machine, I'd love to know which one it is so next time in AC I want to play it! What's it called, "Pink Ponies"? If you get 3 ponies in a row you win all his money? That's what I'd have named it.
Woah Word up! PONTIFICATION is alive and well. Some folks are gonna need a ladder to get off those high horses.
(Thanks to the poster who perviously recognized this trait)
Stop assuming JACK is a poster child of what not to do with your winnings. Spend it how ya wish and learn from it. Save it and stash it some where. But whatever ya do, do it and make sure it doesnt hit the papers :) Thats the only thing that deters any winner. Being recognized for ones character flaws....
I would love to take you up on a bet, but that would make me feel pretty lousy. Like I was waiting for someone's misery. I do think he is going to have a tragic ending.
Whittaker is in the news FAR more than most winners.. I have not heard ANYTHING about the Wests, the Lerners, or Rebecca Jemison, or most other big winners after they initially won. Jack's been in the news regulary for almost four years now. I don't think "Windfall" (the show) will get past 1 year. You're not going to read many stories about people who "did good" with their winnings because it's not newsworthy enough. Lerners gave a big donation to Seton Hall and that's the last I heard. Probably that time he got robbed at the Pony made him a target for a lot of unwanted attention and led to much of the other problems he's had.
Also.. bear in mind that, he had a better chance of winning than I did because he bought 115 tickets for that drawing and I only got about 10 or 15 - including some in West Virginia! Imagine me hearing the news the next day that a winner was sold in WV! That's why I follow it so much.. that could have been me!
Whittaker is in the news FAR more than most winners.. I have not heard ANYTHING about the Wests, the Lerners, or Rebecca Jemison, or most other big winners after they initially won. Jack's been in the news regulary for almost four years now. I don't think "Windfall" (the show) will get past 1 year. You're not going to read many stories about people who "did good" with their winnings because it's not newsworthy enough. Lerners gave a big donation to Seton Hall and that's the last I heard. Probably that time he got robbed at the Pony made him a target for a lot of unwanted attention and led to much of the other problems he's had.
Also.. bear in mind that, he had a better chance of winning than I did because he bought 115 tickets for that drawing and I only got about 10 or 15 - including some in West Virginia! Imagine me hearing the news the next day that a winner was sold in WV! That's why I follow it so much.. that could have been me!
From what I've read about Jack Whittaker, as a millionaire contractor before he won the PowerBall jackpot he was no stranger to local news coverage but winning the PB jackpot create a national interest in him. Jack probably always acted the same way but before his PB win nobody outside West Virgina cared. One of the reason "America Most Wanted" show has caught so many criminals is it takes local crimes and give them national coverage. Most people don't know what's happening two hundred miles away from them unless it has national coverage. Winners who never made the news before they won probably won't make the news much after they win.
I do recall that there was another winner of a large jackpot (from Florida, I think) who tried to donate to Salvation Army, and that donation was refused.
Yes, Uff Da. He lives on Marco Island about 35 miles south of me. The Salvation Army will not accept charitable donations if the person won the money gambling. Too bad, because they could have fed a lot of hurricane victims with that money. It's true what RJOh wrote - nobody has ever heard anything about this winner again. At least I haven't and I read the Naples Daily News. He was a successful investment broker and really didn't "need" the money, but anyone can play and anyone can win. He probably found a local soup kitchen or another way to be generous. Jack Whittaker is big news where he lives. $14 million on Marco Island is a year's income for some people.
The Salvation Army will not accept charitable donations if the person won the money gambling.
I read elsewhere that that was a local decision, and that the same decison might not be reached elsewhere. I can't say how accurate that statement is, as I don't recall the source now. But realistically, unless someone makes a big thing of it in a news conference, most organizations aren't going to check on what the source of all their large donations is. Therefore, no doubt, some charitable organizations might accept "gambling money" unknowingly.
_____________________
Here is a link to some articles which lead me to believe the churches did accept JW's donations, for better or worse.
Uff Da, I have no idea what churches, synogogues or charitable groups will accept. I guess I was only assuming that the Salvation Army had that policy since it was in our local paper that they gave back the money to that lottery winner. Who knows what happened and why? I realize that many people look at the lottery as evil or sinful as a form of gambling, but I can't believe that a loving God would refuse hungry people the opportunity to eat or find shelter through those donations. After all, winning the lottery isn't the same as robbing a bank, selling drugs or working for the Mob. The first picture on the Florida website's winners section is a woman who started many charitable foundations with her prize. She passed away just a few years after she won (from natural causes) and was able to accomplish a lot of good with her money. Money is only evil when it is used to cheat, degrade or hurt people in other ways. I'll never begin a religious debate with anyone (I'll lose) since I'm not an expert on the Bible, but so many people misquote Timothy "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. "
I just used the link and read that the man in FL only gave $100,000. I was wrong and thought it was much more because he won over $14 million. Here's a story about it:
***The Salvation Army has declined a $100,000 donation from a lottery winner because a local official didn't want money linked with gambling. David L. Rush, 71, announced shortly before Christmas he planned to share with the charity some of the $14.3 million payoff from the Florida Lotto.
Major Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army in Naples, Florida, told Rush he couldn't take the money and returned the check, which another official of the evangelical organization had accepted. "There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he world be talking out of both sides of his mouth."
Rush made other charitable donations--$100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $50,000 to the Rotary Club of Marco Island--that were accepted. "Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," said Rush. "I respect the Salvation Amy's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative." Rush, a financial adviser, said he has made monetary donations to the Salvation Army for four decades.***
Why am I not surprised at this latest in the long line of Jack Whittaker stories ?
The broken record just keeps on keepin on...
DD
HAPPY THURSDAY......"DD".....6/8/2206
I certainly hope you win very soon, because I would love to read a story about all the wonderful fun things that happen to BIG WINNERS....W/BIG PRIZES.....I get tired of all the doom and gloom
Thanks, Libra926 !!
It's not for a lack of trying I assure you.
DD
6/12/2006
"DD"....you know I have great faith in you My Friend......your day will come.....
Uff Da, I have no idea what churches, synogogues or charitable groups will accept. I guess I was only assuming that the Salvation Army had that policy since it was in our local paper that they gave back the money to that lottery winner. Who knows what happened and why? I realize that many people look at the lottery as evil or sinful as a form of gambling, but I can't believe that a loving God would refuse hungry people the opportunity to eat or find shelter through those donations. After all, winning the lottery isn't the same as robbing a bank, selling drugs or working for the Mob. The first picture on the Florida website's winners section is a woman who started many charitable foundations with her prize. She passed away just a few years after she won (from natural causes) and was able to accomplish a lot of good with her money. Money is only evil when it is used to cheat, degrade or hurt people in other ways. I'll never begin a religious debate with anyone (I'll lose) since I'm not an expert on the Bible, but so many people misquote Timothy "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. "
I just used the link and read that the man in FL only gave $100,000. I was wrong and thought it was much more because he won over $14 million. Here's a story about it:
***The Salvation Army has declined a $100,000 donation from a lottery winner because a local official didn't want money linked with gambling. David L. Rush, 71, announced shortly before Christmas he planned to share with the charity some of the $14.3 million payoff from the Florida Lotto.
Major Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army in Naples, Florida, told Rush he couldn't take the money and returned the check, which another official of the evangelical organization had accepted. "There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he world be talking out of both sides of his mouth."
Rush made other charitable donations--$100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $50,000 to the Rotary Club of Marco Island--that were accepted. "Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," said Rush. "I respect the Salvation Amy's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative." Rush, a financial adviser, said he has made monetary donations to the Salvation Army for four decades.***
6/12/2006
It's all extremely interesting to me. I never knew that....But, I totally concurr w/you. When you stop and look at all the Hardships across the US in the last year...starting w/Hurricane Katrina....well I can tell you the Catholic Church would accept Lottery donations...and that's wonderful......
Why am I not surprised at this latest in the long line of Jack Whittaker stories ?
The broken record just keeps on keepin on...
DD
Anyone that wins a large jackpot should be given a copy of all the articles about him so that they can learn what not to do.
The never ending cycle.
One more thing:
This is the modern day corporate casino , so they sue..
Back in the day, Jack would not have to worry about a lawsuit-
The only suit he would have to concern himself with would be the suit of plaster over all the broken bones he would have received.
DD
I wonder if one day he will actually better himself or is he going to keep on doing these tired acts.
Hmmm, please don't tell he can not handle 1.5M check! It's really terrible!
From what I've read, he already had the gambling problem and was already going to strip clubs long before he won the lottery. His granddaughter was already using drugs.
He also had a website where anyone could request anywhere from $3 grand to $3 million dollars from him.
I'm not saying he's a good guy for giving away money or even offering those churches money. I think he was about as far away from being a role model for playing the lottery.....and winning.
he said that he had 5 years left in life just shows 300 million and 5 years wasn't worth it
It's terrible that Whittaker is getting sued for $1.5 million for gambling. Whittaker needs to limit gambling.
IT is not terrible..it is what he deserves. Anyone who had been blessed with that kind of money who has done nothing but go from one idiotic thing to another deserves that and more. He still has to win the wrongful death suit filed against him. He is pitiful to say the least.
Why am I not surprised at this latest in the long line of Jack Whittaker stories ?
The broken record just keeps on keepin on...
DD
HAPPY THURSDAY......"DD".....6/8/2206
I certainly hope you win very soon, because I would love to read a story about all the wonderful fun things that happen to BIG WINNERS....W/BIG PRIZES.....I get tired of all the doom and gloom
I wonder if one day he will actually better himself or is he going to keep on doing these tired acts.
HAPPY THURSDAY..." BELLYACHE"...
You know, for all that's said and done, Jack stays in his own world. In his town, among his family. He has done a great deal for his community, he was never selfish. He has a genuine 'wild streak' in him, that needs to be tamed, but, I think the death of his Granddaughter, who was really "his life" is what ultimately became his emotional downfall. No one expects to bury their Children let alone their Grandchildren, and Brandi was his only grandchild. He's Heartbroken. Yes, he needs counselling, but not pontificating. He is certainly not Banckrupt and not living the Donald Trump Life style, down there in Hurricane, WVA. Afterall, He can afford Gasoline, and AC.
The pastors refused his offer to help the churches? That's a new one to me. All the articles I'd read previously had, I thought, indicated that they had accepted the money. Here is a quote from one old article:
This week's tragedy "doesn't seem fair," said his pastor, the Rev. C.T. Mathews, for whom Whittaker is building a $4 million church on a hilltop here.
And from another:
Since then, Whittaker has been pulled between Christian charity and trouble. He is building two churches, feeding and clothing poor children and building senior citizen housing.
Both of those quotes were from articles printed in 2004.
Why am I not surprised at this latest in the long line of Jack Whittaker stories ?
The broken record just keeps on keepin on...
DD
HAPPY THURSDAY......"DD".....6/8/2206
I certainly hope you win very soon, because I would love to read a story about all the wonderful fun things that happen to BIG WINNERS....W/BIG PRIZES.....I get tired of all the doom and gloom
Thanks, Libra926 !!
It's not for a lack of trying I assure you.
DD
The pastors refused his offer to help the churches? That's a new one to me. All the articles I'd read previously had, I thought, indicated that they had accepted the money. Here is a quote from one old article:
This week's tragedy "doesn't seem fair," said his pastor, the Rev. C.T. Mathews, for whom Whittaker is building a $4 million church on a hilltop here.
And from another:
Since then, Whittaker has been pulled between Christian charity and trouble. He is building two churches, feeding and clothing poor children and building senior citizen housing.
Both of those quotes were from articles printed in 2004.
Jack tried donating his money to have the a churchs built i'm pretty sure he had em built. No body wants to go there.
The church of god does not knowingly accept money from gambling.
One of the first things he did after winning was go to the pastors of three churches. they dised him on the spot. Wanted no part of his lottery winings.
the links i tried to post are not working but this has been go over before. he has built a church that no one wants to go to.
This is the person that the camera's should have been following. A show about him would definitely be top rated.....if people watched The Newlyweds on MTV I know people would watch this man's circus parade. lol
He has repeatedly blamed all of his troubles on hs grand-daughter's "druggy"friends. The gambling problems, the sexual harassment, the drunk driving, etcetera, are not in any way shape or form anyone's fault but his own. And like so many "good"people he always has to blame someone else rather than accept responsibility for his own actions. Hell, anyone who has to take over half a million in cash into a seedy strip joint is obviously trying to compensate for a lack of true inner character. And I have a question for all you "christians" who automatically assume he is a good person because he donates money to organizations of your faith. When he took all that cash into the strip bar he was obviously hoping to impress one of the "ladies" into performing a service above and beyond your typical champagne room lap dance, so was he hoping to honor and cherish his wife in that way. Or maybe he was hoping to fill them with Christ's love, probably down one of their throats. Sudden wealth and money is a lot like drugs in that if you are an intelligent person with good character and common sense, and accept responsibility for your own actions you will have minimal problems. If you are a jackass to begin with, then you are just going to be a rich jackass.
mangeydog said:
And I have a question for all you "christians" who automatically assume he is a good person because he donates money to organizations of your faith.
I don't know if you are including me in the category of "all you christians who automatically assume he is a good person because he donates money to organizations of your faith," but since I was one of the few who commented about his donations to churches, perhaps I should clarify. I said nothing about whether he was a "good person" or not. I was trying to establish a fact - did the pastors refuse his donations or not? From what I read, I believe they did. It would certainly seem that at least one did from the first quote I offered above. But I admit I'm a "Johnny come lately" in a lot of this lottery news. I'd never even heard of Jack Whittaker until a few months ago. It is possible that there were additional articles printed a few years back that included information I've never seen, as it may no longer be available. And I don't pretend to have read everything about him still available, either.
I do recall that there was another winner of a large jackpot (from Florida, I think) who tried to donate to Salvation Army, and that donation was refused.
I wasn't specifically referring to you Uff Da! Just any and all that think because someone mentions Christ or christianity in public automatically makes them a good person and above reproach. If he was truly filled with the spirit of Christ he would not have even mentioned anything about it in public and just did good works in the spirit while remaining as anonymous about it as he could. So many people wear their religion on their sleeve while not actually getting the spiritually uplifting essence of the teachings.
Oops! Now that I re-read my reply above (post 19), I see that I goofed. I said, "I was trying to establish a fact - did the pastors refuse his donations or not? From what I read, I believe they did." But I meant "From what I read, I believe they accepted the donations."
It is at times like this that I wish we could edit posts for a longer period of time.
We are just as fascinated with Jack Whitaker as the world is fascinated with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Osama Bin Laden. Its interesting stuff about folks who have a chance to have it all, yet they blow it, time and again.
Jack is news, it sells!
"The Jack Whittaker Story". A great TV movie.
I think that its something that is just horrible but yet it something that makes me want to just smack the Hell right outta him!!! I mean I being a "responsible" person AS WELL as a lotto player I cannot in ANY WAY understand how someone can win CASH OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS and be that ignorant. Ok SO WHAT IF HE DID BUILD CHURCHES??? SO WHAT IF HE DID GO TO STRIP CLUBS?? The point of it is HOW HE HAS CONDUCTED HIMSELF AND WITH HIS GOOD FORTUNE that he Obviously has no grace for nor does he value it. People like that should never have been the "lucky one"
Just once I want to hear of a story where a mom or a family struggling working 50 hrs a week to eat and feed their family HIT BIG and KNOW that they will most likly be responsible with it cause THEY NEED IT someone that does what ALL he did ...what ever jack did NOT deserve it!!!
I think that its something that is just horrible but yet it something that makes me want to just smack the Hell right outta him!!! I mean I being a "responsible" person AS WELL as a lotto player I cannot in ANY WAY understand how someone can win CASH OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS and be that ignorant. Ok SO WHAT IF HE DID BUILD CHURCHES??? SO WHAT IF HE DID GO TO STRIP CLUBS?? The point of it is HOW HE HAS CONDUCTED HIMSELF AND WITH HIS GOOD FORTUNE that he Obviously has no grace for nor does he value it. People like that should never have been the "lucky one"
Just once I want to hear of a story where a mom or a family struggling working 50 hrs a week to eat and feed their family HIT BIG and KNOW that they will most likly be responsible with it cause THEY NEED IT someone that does what ALL he did ...what ever jack did NOT deserve it!!!
That's the sad reality- lottery winners are truly random, so we get what we get.
Deserving people win every once in a while.( pleeeeaaase ??)
It sure looks like you and me are overdue, Sass..
DD
Let's see.... Jack's in the news again... that itself isn't news.
Bounced checks??? I doubt he completely ran out of money, maybe they were to an account that he had not deposited enough into or an old account, whatever.
Was he expecting to win more than 315 million in the Casino? Isn't the best jackpot there "only" 10 million?
(I thank him for visiting my home state so often! We visit his sometimes.)
Is he going to sue "Windfall" for stealing his idea?
I heard he developed a slot machine, I'd love to know which one it is so next time in AC I want to play it! What's it called, "Pink Ponies"? If you get 3 ponies in a row you win all his money? That's what I'd have named it.
Woah Word up! PONTIFICATION is alive and well. Some folks are gonna need a ladder to get off those high horses.
(Thanks to the poster who perviously recognized this trait)
Stop assuming JACK is a poster child of what not to do with your winnings. Spend it how ya wish and learn from it. Save it and stash it some where. But whatever ya do, do it and make sure it doesnt hit the papers :) Thats the only thing that deters any winner. Being recognized for ones character flaws....
anyone want to take a bet on how soon he goes broke??
I would love to take you up on a bet, but that would make me feel pretty lousy. Like I was waiting for someone's misery. I do think he is going to have a tragic ending.
Whittaker is in the news FAR more than most winners.. I have not heard ANYTHING about the Wests, the Lerners, or Rebecca Jemison, or most other big winners after they initially won. Jack's been in the news regulary for almost four years now. I don't think "Windfall" (the show) will get past 1 year. You're not going to read many stories about people who "did good" with their winnings because it's not newsworthy enough. Lerners gave a big donation to Seton Hall and that's the last I heard. Probably that time he got robbed at the Pony made him a target for a lot of unwanted attention and led to much of the other problems he's had.
Also.. bear in mind that, he had a better chance of winning than I did because he bought 115 tickets for that drawing and I only got about 10 or 15 - including some in West Virginia! Imagine me hearing the news the next day that a winner was sold in WV! That's why I follow it so much.. that could have been me!
Well I think that it wont take long for him to be broke ... now I am not saying that its gonna be in the next year BUT it will be with in the next 5
Whittaker is in the news FAR more than most winners.. I have not heard ANYTHING about the Wests, the Lerners, or Rebecca Jemison, or most other big winners after they initially won. Jack's been in the news regulary for almost four years now. I don't think "Windfall" (the show) will get past 1 year. You're not going to read many stories about people who "did good" with their winnings because it's not newsworthy enough. Lerners gave a big donation to Seton Hall and that's the last I heard. Probably that time he got robbed at the Pony made him a target for a lot of unwanted attention and led to much of the other problems he's had.
Also.. bear in mind that, he had a better chance of winning than I did because he bought 115 tickets for that drawing and I only got about 10 or 15 - including some in West Virginia! Imagine me hearing the news the next day that a winner was sold in WV! That's why I follow it so much.. that could have been me!
From what I've read about Jack Whittaker, as a millionaire contractor before he won the PowerBall jackpot he was no stranger to local news coverage but winning the PB jackpot create a national interest in him. Jack probably always acted the same way but before his PB win nobody outside West Virgina cared. One of the reason "America Most Wanted" show has caught so many criminals is it takes local crimes and give them national coverage. Most people don't know what's happening two hundred miles away from them unless it has national coverage. Winners who never made the news before they won probably won't make the news much after they win.
I do recall that there was another winner of a large jackpot (from Florida, I think) who tried to donate to Salvation Army, and that donation was refused.
Yes, Uff Da. He lives on Marco Island about 35 miles south of me. The Salvation Army will not accept charitable donations if the person won the money gambling. Too bad, because they could have fed a lot of hurricane victims with that money. It's true what RJOh wrote - nobody has ever heard anything about this winner again. At least I haven't and I read the Naples Daily News. He was a successful investment broker and really didn't "need" the money, but anyone can play and anyone can win. He probably found a local soup kitchen or another way to be generous. Jack Whittaker is big news where he lives. $14 million on Marco Island is a year's income for some people.
justxploring wrote:
The Salvation Army will not accept charitable donations if the person won the money gambling.
I read elsewhere that that was a local decision, and that the same decison might not be reached elsewhere. I can't say how accurate that statement is, as I don't recall the source now. But realistically, unless someone makes a big thing of it in a news conference, most organizations aren't going to check on what the source of all their large donations is. Therefore, no doubt, some charitable organizations might accept "gambling money" unknowingly.
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Here is a link to some articles which lead me to believe the churches did accept JW's donations, for better or worse.
http://www.generousgiving.org/page.asp?sec=28&page=264
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Edited to add: Here is a link to an article I just found which includes information about the Salvation Army's position :
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/119/story_11937_1.html
The article includes this statement:
The Salvation Army has no standing policy on accepting money from any source.
Uff Da, I have no idea what churches, synogogues or charitable groups will accept. I guess I was only assuming that the Salvation Army had that policy since it was in our local paper that they gave back the money to that lottery winner. Who knows what happened and why? I realize that many people look at the lottery as evil or sinful as a form of gambling, but I can't believe that a loving God would refuse hungry people the opportunity to eat or find shelter through those donations. After all, winning the lottery isn't the same as robbing a bank, selling drugs or working for the Mob. The first picture on the Florida website's winners section is a woman who started many charitable foundations with her prize. She passed away just a few years after she won (from natural causes) and was able to accomplish a lot of good with her money. Money is only evil when it is used to cheat, degrade or hurt people in other ways. I'll never begin a religious debate with anyone (I'll lose) since I'm not an expert on the Bible, but so many people misquote Timothy "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. "
I just used the link and read that the man in FL only gave $100,000. I was wrong and thought it was much more because he won over $14 million. Here's a story about it:
***The Salvation Army has declined a $100,000 donation from a lottery winner because a local official didn't want money linked with gambling. David L. Rush, 71, announced shortly before Christmas he planned to share with the charity some of the $14.3 million payoff from the Florida Lotto.
Major Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army in Naples, Florida, told Rush he couldn't take the money and returned the check, which another official of the evangelical organization had accepted. "There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he world be talking out of both sides of his mouth."
Rush made other charitable donations--$100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $50,000 to the Rotary Club of Marco Island--that were accepted. "Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," said Rush. "I respect the Salvation Amy's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative." Rush, a financial adviser, said he has made monetary donations to the Salvation Army for four decades.***
Why am I not surprised at this latest in the long line of Jack Whittaker stories ?
The broken record just keeps on keepin on...
DD
HAPPY THURSDAY......"DD".....6/8/2206
I certainly hope you win very soon, because I would love to read a story about all the wonderful fun things that happen to BIG WINNERS....W/BIG PRIZES.....I get tired of all the doom and gloom
Thanks, Libra926 !!
It's not for a lack of trying I assure you.
DD
6/12/2006
"DD"....you know I have great faith in you My Friend......your day will come.....
Someone needs to learn how to "check" his bank balance!!!!!!!!!!!!
Uff Da, I have no idea what churches, synogogues or charitable groups will accept. I guess I was only assuming that the Salvation Army had that policy since it was in our local paper that they gave back the money to that lottery winner. Who knows what happened and why? I realize that many people look at the lottery as evil or sinful as a form of gambling, but I can't believe that a loving God would refuse hungry people the opportunity to eat or find shelter through those donations. After all, winning the lottery isn't the same as robbing a bank, selling drugs or working for the Mob. The first picture on the Florida website's winners section is a woman who started many charitable foundations with her prize. She passed away just a few years after she won (from natural causes) and was able to accomplish a lot of good with her money. Money is only evil when it is used to cheat, degrade or hurt people in other ways. I'll never begin a religious debate with anyone (I'll lose) since I'm not an expert on the Bible, but so many people misquote Timothy "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. "
I just used the link and read that the man in FL only gave $100,000. I was wrong and thought it was much more because he won over $14 million. Here's a story about it:
***The Salvation Army has declined a $100,000 donation from a lottery winner because a local official didn't want money linked with gambling. David L. Rush, 71, announced shortly before Christmas he planned to share with the charity some of the $14.3 million payoff from the Florida Lotto.
Major Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army in Naples, Florida, told Rush he couldn't take the money and returned the check, which another official of the evangelical organization had accepted. "There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he world be talking out of both sides of his mouth."
Rush made other charitable donations--$100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $50,000 to the Rotary Club of Marco Island--that were accepted. "Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," said Rush. "I respect the Salvation Amy's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative." Rush, a financial adviser, said he has made monetary donations to the Salvation Army for four decades.***
6/12/2006
It's all extremely interesting to me. I never knew that....But, I totally concurr w/you. When you stop and look at all the Hardships across the US in the last year...starting w/Hurricane Katrina....well I can tell you the Catholic Church would accept Lottery donations...and that's wonderful......