By Todd Northrop
Georgia has joined a small but growing number of states that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
On Monday Georgia governor Nathan Deal signed a bill allowing lottery winners with prizes over $250,000 to keep their identity secret upon request.
Prior to this point, Georgia state law required disclosure of big lottery winners' names and hometown be disclosed if requested under the state's Open Records Act, but did not require them to take photographs with oversized checks — although they could do it voluntarily.
The new measure signed Monday eliminates all disclosure requirements, allowing prize winners to decide if their names should remain a state secret.
Sen. Steve Henson (D-Stone Mountain), who sponsored the bill in the Senate, says some winners have been targeted by criminals after their names became public.
"Whatever concerns some may have about transparency, they're overridden by the fact that we're protecting people who are winners from being the victims of crime, and in the long run I think this will be a better way to do it," Henson said.
First Amendment advocates say the move and its lack of transparency creates the potential for corruption in the future.
Georgia joins Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas as states that allow winners to remain anonymous. Arizona has a limited shield law that shields lottery winners' identities for 90 days after they claim their prizes.
A growing number of other states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, will award prizes to a trust and allow a trustee — usually an attorney — to collect without disclosing the name of the ticket holder.
Each state has specific rules about whether or not big winners will be required to participate in a press conference, have their photo taken (with or without covering their face or wearing a disguise), and request minimal personal information disclosure.
Since the rules for lottery winner anonymity are rapidly changing throughout the country, players looking for specific information about winning in their state should contact their state lottery directly for the latest information.
As it should be!
Congratulations Georgia and a Governor that cares enough of his constituents to allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
Good for Georgia, hope other states follow.
Stone Mountain, Georgia is where a major lottery winner lived. The winners lived there and in San Jose, CA.
Isn't Georgia the State where criminals shot a winner and killed him in front of his kids? The criminals were caught and are now in prison. The thin blue line and the State Justice Department working together.
Excellent work by Governor Nathan Deal and Senator Steve Henson (D-Stone Mountain) plus the rest of the Legislature.
Congrats GA, welcome to the club of the very few !!!! Perhaps others will follow your lead in the near future
One by one, hope it continues to all playing states.
Great article Todd! I'm very happy to see that law enacted for the benefit and safety of large winners.
I understand everyone wanting to remain anonymous, I would and can because of where I live but I also can see more cheating in the future as this spreads.
Absolutely, however, anonymous winners need to do other things accordingly. Delete all their social media, follow up with the accountant, financial planner, lawyer.
HENCE WHY I PUT UP THESE RULES UP A BIT AGO
Do you understand the pull of cashing in the ticket the next business day? Like gravitational pull. That small piece of paper could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Most likely I will move that winning ticket to the District Lottery Office from my residence soon after the draw.
I will notify my family members before I claim my prize.
That sounds like a good deal to me!
R.I. P. Transparency.
Deception is here to stay.
Booooo I hate you. What if every big winner was actually fake and one person has been winning all the lotteries and paying people 10 million to keep it quit. You give me 10 million and I ain't saying s###. "but I also can see more cheating in the future as this spreads."
If you think like that then I encourage you not to play in the first place.
I dont actually hate you but the rest of what I said was spot on
Good for GA I may really go across the lines now to play because NC is full of mess. Nobody is really winning anything.and pick3 is a big joke. Before NC got lottery me and my friens used to go to GA and virginia anyway
Whenever the anonymous states are mentioned little ole Wyoming is always omitted.
In the future i may not play. Don't be mad when the cheating gets worse and you were robbed of a legitimate chance of winning.
Some of you guys are way too paranoid. If you won a jackpot you would think everyone is out to get you. You guys need to relax.
Those 292 and 302 million to one odds, isn't much of chance. Think about it, every single person in the country over 18 could by one ticket and there would still be 50-60 million unsold combos left over.
What is your point? We do know someone will win and we know there are people who win 1 million basically every drawing.
I and others on this site am far from paranoid. But what I can tell you( Mr/Ms Fellini) as a 17 year veteran police officer who has investigated homicides/suicides/sex crimes/theft/domestics/robberies and various other crimes against humanity, that there are some people out there that don't care about your life/opinion and have zero remorse about taking it or items from you at any given moment. There is an old saying in my career field and it goes like this," 90% of the folks out here are good and roughly 10% are bad. We deal with the 10% that are bad, 90% of the time." Where our news agencies, including Lottery Post can report good things, they do report the bad aspects. I don't have to remind you about the stories of Abraham Shakespeare, Craigory Burch Jr., Ryan McKechnie, Doris Murray, Jeff Dampier, Urooj Khan along with the excerpts of Jack Whitaker or Billy Bob Harrell here in Texas.
My point being is that the preservation of oneself from destruction or harm, is a natural or instinctive tendency to act, so as to preserve one's own existence. People that want open transparency into other folks lives and how much they have/won should never outweigh another persons right to privacy. Be cautious in what is made public is all I am saying.
Just my 2 pennies on the opposite viewpoint.
Excellent summary cdana! I am also always curious about the people who want to seek publicity for major wins. Winning the lottery is not due to the winner inventing a cure for cancer, helping the poor, or other personal, family, or career accomplishment. The win might make you a temporary "kartrashian" if you want to flaunt it 24/7 but if you are secure with yourself and have a life and other achievements, most people want to stay anonymous and get back to their lives.
I for one am thrilled. I play in Georgia often... I am glad that the people's voice has been heard. A lot of problems comes with being a lottery winner. From constant bombardment of people asking for money to even threatening of you or a family members life. It is all a hassle that does not need to be. I would love to win a jackpot and not have to deal with a estate lawyer and complicated taxes due to a LLC, Corporation, or trust. and just collect as a individual.
The ones out there that think that there is going to be conspiracies or fraud and that transparency is good... I somewhat agree, but knowing that they research out every major win before paying the ticket is comforting enough for me to say "good enough" and "well done". Even some of those trust collections could be questioned as legitimate or illegitimate.
Don't be mad when the cheating gets worse and you were robbed of a legitimate chance of winning.
292 and 302 million to one odds for a jackpot win isn't much of a chance whether someone was to cheat or not. This is why many don't play until the jackpot hits 500 Mill or so. The attitude is, why spend $2 on a lousy 100 or 150 Mill? I'll save my money for when it gets really big.
People win 1 million because the odds are "only" 11.6 and 12.6 million to one. Realistically this is probably what one should hope for odds wise.
Australia and other entities that allow winners to remain anonymous don't have a problem with it nor do you hear about any scandals or cheating.
Just my @.02 here but I find it incredible that people here at LP think that allowing anonymity would invite cheating yet some of those very same people believe there is actually someone representing as think tank tank is an actual person.
CDanaT,
Thanks for the insight and points well made. I'm in a rural area and a few years back someone nearby won a few million in the state lottery. The winner's name and town was published and on the local news. A a few days later the police caught two armed hooligans hanging around his house. When asked what they were up to they said, "Well, this is where the millionaire lives, right?"
The Californian Lottery is big on this " transparency" bit. Their spin is " people want to know who won!" Who are these people that want to know? Since CA loves putting stuff on the ballot, like medical marijuana,rent control, prop this or that, why not put this " Who wants to know who the lottery winners are!" While they at it, state that the reason it is on the ballot is because of the " safety to jackpot winners." Btw, l notice that using LP on my cellphone, a site called " Moms-get-naughty" popped up. l thought that LP clamped down on that sort of thing- oh the Horror.
If Iowa was an anonymous state would Tipton be caught?
Ga lottery doesn't care about its players lives. Unless I'm mistaken this bill comes with a cost of 4% of your winnings, even with the taxes.
.
Mr./Ms. Slicktime,
Yes, there is one commercial co. you've seen already, that protects one's ss number, with elaborate security.
Just a little while longer, when these companies start popping up all over.
Mr. Groppo
(hey groppo where've ya been?)
noise-gate,
Your latest post here made me think of a t-shirt I saw in a catalog;
The NSA read my shirt
We did not, NSA
Here's an idea for another t-shirt
Anonymous Jackpot Winner!
wendy67,
4% is a little strong but might still be worth it.
https://www.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/georgia-senate-passes-bill-that-would-give-lottery-winners-anonymity/wnqchQKdVSwS7jYNIcInlK/
This is the only article I could find on that "up to 4%"surcharge" that was initially introduced. The last paragraph does state that the senate added an amendment to the bill that would NOT require a winner to pay for any costs affiliated with anonymity.
Sounds like they have some concern about winners privacy.They set the privacy starting at $250,000. Here in Texas, our anonymity starts at $1 Million(unless you claim by annual payments, then your name can be made public after 30 days).
I have yet to find the 2018 law on the books, giving me a chance to review it to ensure the amendment has no cost provisions associated with remaining anonymous.
MsBee18, You have asked an excellent and thought-provoking question.
My answer is that the Lotteries have access to the name and address of the winner but they are allowed to not make it public. Tipton would have been caught.
I contacted Georgia Lottery directly. The law went into effect May 7th. According to them, you can connect anonymously with wins over $250,000.00. Which we know, but you have to submit a letter requesting anonymity when you claim a prize.