Texas lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow big lottery winners to keep their identity a secret, but they would have to pay for that privilege.
Right now, Texas Lottery winners are not allowed to remain anonymous. In some cases, individuals have established a trust or turned their winning ticket over to a trust to claim the prize for them. But, Texas law requires that someone come forward to participate in a news conference and collect the money.
House Bill 1504 would change that and allow winners of more than $1 million to keep their privacy, if they are willing to part with some of their prize money. The proposed bill would allow winners to remain anonymous if they fork over 5% of their winnings.
The bill is titled, Relating to a lottery prize winner's choice to remain anonymous on authorization to withhold five percent of winnings, and was introduced Tuesday by Rep. Terry Canales (D).
The 5% would go to the state lottery account, which is used to payout prizes, for operation and administration of the lottery, and foundation school fund.
Another way for the government to make money..lol Key word "Bill"
5%? Hmmm.... If all states offer this option it would certainly be an improvement on the notion of making the game even harder to win as a means of earning more revenue.
Unbelievable, and they call themselves Americans. I think they should replace the majority of these lawmakers.
Just another fast Money scheme...
I think it's a great idea. If you want to be anonymous then just shell out some money, it really should be public information who has won though. Let's just keep it all transparent. Your biggest threats will come from people you already know anyways. We as lottery players have the right to know who we have lost money to and that the person who has won is a real person
South Carolina doesn't divulge the identities of lottery winners to the public if they don't want it to be known.
When you think about it there's some people out there that would consider the 5% a bargain if they owe money, child support, get divorced months after the winning numbers and then go collect on the down low. This opens up a whole world of problems.
Come on Texas this is crazy we are trying to get away from the Government taking our money and Texas offers something like this (SMH)
Totally agree Maddog. This sounds like extortion.
Definately need the option to claim anonymously but this is a crock.
Sounds like extortion to me.
It should not cost 5% in the first place.
The right to privacy should not be something Americans be forced to pay for;
but it may be worth the price to keep your name out of the media,when dealing with huge jackpot winnings.
Don't believe this will protect anyone who owes child support, alimony, back taxes, or judgements. Just think it keeps the winners information from the media.
I agree those debts will be taken from your funds before you ever receive your winnings.
What a crock of bull pucky. Allowing someone to be private with regard to lottery winnings should not have to cost them money. 5% seems like small amount but it's not really for every $1M they take $50K just to keep someone's name out of media i say no way.
Ridiculous !
They should have to pay you to use YOUR name and image, that is if you agree to the use.
Now playing the big $ games only when I go to Delaware.
No. This would NOT be the case. This is about Government making more money. This "bill" most certainly will include provisions to garnish any winnings based on things like "child support", back taxes, public debts, etc... THIS WILL NOT BE AN OUT FOR THAT
This bill will only allow the winner to remain anonymous to the General Public for purposes of reporting who wins.
It's Just a bill to garner more revenue and nothing else.
5% is quite a bit to fork over to maintain your privacy.
The lottery argues that publishing the winners names is all done to maintain the "integrity" of the games it sells.
This 5% payment option to maintain your anonymity if you win more than $1 Million dollars just goes to show you that the Lottery agencies are more concerned with more revenue than they are about publishing the winners names.
Pretty much speaks for itself
This bill is nonsense! Just another example of legalized extortion. Someone should slap the idiot who came up with this idea....not just one slap, but two!
This is a society of people who already give up their privacy with Facebook twit er and celebrity worship. Just show up claim sign keep your trap shut then leave.
It's deranged how several of these worldwide law makers think of their role in "representing" humanity!!!
lucky 4 me I have none of those problems .......
but I plan to have a currently trust worthy friend set up the dozen phoney accounts
I believe there is a special place for politicans and lawyers (generally, one in the same) to rot in hell.
The only reason they are still on earth is because of the overcrowding.
Okayyyyy. I think I have finally heard everything.
Considering Texas has no state tax on lottery prizes, 5% to go anonymous is fine.
I know it sounds like legalized extortion but Texas does not have a state income tax. In NC, they withhold 6% for state income taxes initially but then hit you with the balance of an additional 1.75% when you file your taxes.
If I bought a winning jackpot ticket in TX, I would bypass the anonymity tax and just hire my own security for a year. After a year, even the most hardcore moochers/criminals will have long given up.
Looks like a form of extortion, but I would probably used the offer to keep the anonymity.
Anonymity is standard for lottery winners in Norway.
"The bill is titled, Relating to a lottery prize winner's choice to remain anonymous on authorization to withhold five percent of winnings, and was introduced Tuesday by Rep. Terry Canales (D)."
Well there is the problem. Rep Terry Canales (D) <--- the problem
They got this one backwards.
Because the state wants to remain transparent the state should have to assign a security team to big winners and at taxpayer expense.
The team should have to stay on and protect the winner for the duration of what the annuity payout period is regardless of whether the winner takes the annuity or cash.
Problem solved and the state gets their transparency.
So if I won the next jackpot, they'd want $3m to keep my name private? I think I'd prefer to just hire an attorney for a fraction of that and claim via a trust or LLC. My name would still be discoverable via an open records request, but at least I would still be fairly anonymous and would have those extra millions.
I don't like it, but I really don't think this is that terrible, simply because the winnings currently aren't taxed on the state level and it's on par with those states that do have that (and it is optional).
Also, Todd, I think this statement is wrong:
But, Texas law requires that someone come forward to participate in a news conference and collect the money.
I'm pretty certain winners can opt for "minimal publicity", which means they don't have to participate in a news conference.
Doesn,t matter one way or the other huge jackpot,that gets national attention,I want to be anonymous,5% or trust.
Absolutely ridiculous...
I didn't know Texas didn't collect state taxes on lottery winning...
Propose a bill to collect state taxes on the lottery then... don't disguise it as a "privacy" tax.
"Propose a bill to collect state taxes on the lottery then... don't disguise it as a "privacy" tax."
If they did that they would probably tax all winners, even the ones with the lower prizes.