Is is most astonishing when these statistics are compared to something like the return from purchasing a large winning lottery ticket. In most cases, the current value (that is, the amount the lotto agency will give you if you take the prize in one lump sum, rather than over a period of years) is significantly than these people get year after year. And lottery winnings are subject to a 27% federal withholding and, in most states, a substantial state withholding.