What would you do if somebody handed you a fortune on a plate? You might spend it on experiences, such as travelling the world, or perhaps invest it for the future – but that's not what these people did.

From a professional gambler who squandered his life savings to a former mayor who gambled as way of coping with tragedy, read on for the sad stories of five people who inherited unbelievable sums but gambled them all away. All dollar amounts in US dollars unless stated.