SHANGHAI: Supermarket employee Zhu Hong seemed to have it all going for him when he was promoted to head his accounting department earlier this year.

But he threw it all away when he wagered his savings as well as his company's funds in a local lottery.

Destroying his dreams of grandeur, Zhu, 25, was charged with embezzling more than 1.2 million yuan ($175,500) from his company and jailed for nine years.