LOTT TO LOSE
Teen Lotto winner Callie Rogers says under-18s should be banned after blowing fortune on cars and boob job
TEEN Lotto winner Callie Rogers has said under-18s should be banned from playing - calling it a "curse" as she was hounded by "fake friends" who only wanted a slice of her fortune.
Former Co-op shelf stacker Callie, from Cumbria, was the youngest lottery winner in Britain when she landed £1.9million in 2003 at 16.
6
But she went on a spending spree of fast cars and holidays - and later described the windfall as "too much for someone so young".
She revealed how she spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on family and friends, was abused by strangers and beaten up by two jealous women.
She told the she is still owed £200,000 by "fake friends" who took her debit card to buy Macbooks and presents for themselves as she partied with her winnings.
Callie, now 32, forked out £17,000 on boob jobs and reportedly spent £250,000 on cocaine - something she denies.
The single mum-of-three is now earning just £12,000 a year as a carer and living in a £500-a-month rented home.
Now she insists: "I am the happiest I have ever been."
LOTTO AGE LIMIT
It comes after the government announced the National Lottery age limit could rise from 16 to 18 in a bid to cut gambling addiction.
The minimum age to play National Lottery scratchcards and online win games could be increased to 18 to protect vulnerable young people, Culture Minister Mims Davies revealed.
The minimum legal age for gambling is typically 18 but the National Lottery is an exception.
Gambling is now more popular among children than skateboarding and campaigners believe an age limit of 16 entices young people into a habit of betting.
WINDFALL MADE LIFE HELL
Callie feels she was too young to cope with the pressure and wants to stop other kids going through the same problems she faced.
She told the Mirror: "You are only a 16, with all that responsibility. At that age, you can get the best advice ever.
";But you are not in a position to listen. I was too young.
"I suffer from such bad anxiety when I am going to meet new people. It preys on my mind, what a new partner’s family will think of me, or even new friends. I still get abuse just because of who I am.”
In response, a spokesman for Camelot said: “Callie received extensive support from us which lasted many years. She didn’t take up the independent financial and legal advice offered by us. However, our winner’s team fully supported her and helped her to handle media interest.
“We will continue to support Callie in any way we can if she wants.”
MOST READ IN NEWS
Another teen Jane Park, from Edinburgh, has also raised doubts about whether she should have been allowed to scoop £1million aged just 17 - claiming her life would have been '10 times better' had she not become a millionaire at such a young age.
She has since splashed out on cars, holidays and plastic surgery and become a household name after appearing on national TV - but claims the cash has made her miserable.
There are also concerns the current age limit makes it easier for even younger kids to buy Lotto tickets and scratchcards.
Gamble Aware, the addiction charity, says one in eight children aged between 11 and 15 years old are gambling regularly, and as many as 30,000 may be problem gamblers.
6
6
6
6
6
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.