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Everytime a person wins a large jackpot this debate arises. Should the winner be identified or not. This seems to be a simple yes or no question for most but you have to look beyond revealing the winner's identity.

Ask yourself what are the consequences of revealing the identity of the jackpot winner?

I would like to ask few questions:

1. As a jackpot winner would you be willing to live with the fallout of having your identity revealed because of my "right to know"?

2. Are you willing to have your loved ones pay the price for my "right to know" that you won a jackpot?

3. Are you prepared to use a large chunk of your winnings to pay lawyers to defend you against flim-flam scammers?

4. How happy will you be when a convincing liar wins a case against you and you have to use your winnings to pay the settlement?

5. Will you still believe that it is my "right to know" should your loved one gets kidnapped-held hostage- or killed?

I recall reading somewhere, possibly here at Lotterypost, about a family in Canada that won a jackpot, and a guy from South America went to Canada with the intention of kidnapping the family for money. It just so happens that the family had taken their young daughter to one of the Disney theme parks for vacation. Thank God the police was notified about this guy before the family returned and he was captured before he could act out his plan.

So now I ask, what is more important, my "right to know" who you are or your "right to privacy" and your family's right to be safe?

I'm fortunate enough to live close to a state that allows anonymity (thats where I buy my tickets).  I just simply wouldn't play if I couldn't remain anonymous.  Part of my "lottery dream" is having the freedom to live my life how I want to live it.  I'm a recluse and have no desire for attention.  Part of my dream would be shattered if my identity was revealed after winning.

In other words, don't play if you can't play by the rules.  If you don't like the rules then maybe you should encourage your state representatives to pass a law to allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. Not at all happy

5. No

The Australian Lottery really should be the model for all U.S. lotteries.

There have been posts here on LP from members in Australia that winning are tax free- the price of a ticket is $1.03 AUSD, the .03 pays the taxes, and most everybody claims anonymopusly.

If people were not crazy, I would say Yes, but as things are, I say NO.

Are we trusting enough to believe the lottery actually gave out the jackpot without the press release with pictures of who they gave it to ?  Otherwise each week a different lottery employee could be the winner, how would we know ?

I recall a couple of online lottery games that claimed an annonymous winner in a war zone.

BobP

Exactly...  According to news reports the winner from NY came forward and was allowed to claim the prize anonymously.  However, I was unable to locate a press release on the NYS lottery website confirming this.  Are the news reports wrong?  

However, if I lived in the neighborhood where the ticket was bought I'd really want to remain anonymous too.  It's not the safest neighborhood and I'd be concerned about the safety of my family and friends that live around there.

There are actually companies throughout the world that do nothing other than negotiate and pay ransom demands from groups who kidnap the children and other relatives of foreign workers.  It's a pretty well-known business.  The groups never harm their captives, its a purely business transaction.  Ask yourself whether you want the world to know you are a multi-millionaire, how many kids you have, where you live, etc.

Maryland allows you to claim your prize anonymously. But, I was told by someone, whose relative had won a jackpot, when they went to claim their prize he or she was escorted into a room and then several advisers and accountants and lawyer, whom the the winner did not request or know about, were allowed to enter the room to discuss what to do with his or her winnings. This was a surprise to the winner who, reportly, became very angery.

I'm hoping, if this truly happened, that MSLA would, 1. have these advisers sworn to secrecy. 2. Allow the winners the choice to have their own advisers, lawyers or accountants come.

BobP,

Guess the Aussies are trusting enough, so why not us?

I'm liking the idea of a Jackpot Winners Protection Program more and more.

Think about it.

About 2 percent of the population of this country are millionaires. Their presence is known and they live happily.

No..no one has a "right" to know..safety first.

And most of those millionaires don't have a fraction of the media attention a lottery winner gets. There's a very different mentality when it comes to lottery winners.

I agree. I think, that some people believe, that those who win the lottery, didn't really earn their money, so they have an obligation to share. I have no idea why some people think this way, but they do. So, they have no problem asking for handouts. I doubt, many of those same people, would go up to a person who accumulated their money through working, stock market, etc. and ask for some of their money.

I disagree. They are seen by hundreds of folks evryday. They flaunt their riches with the cars they drive and yachts they sail. If anyone wanted to threaten them for their money they would just follow them around till they figured a plan to rob them or ask the  handouts.

The media coverage is shortlived for winners. After a week or so, most people go about living their lives forgetting the whole thing until the next winner. The fringes of society that may be dangerous would exist in both winners and self made millionares.

I can almost bet that if someone did an investigation on which group has been robbed or harrased more often, it would be the self made millionaires not the winners. But that's just my opinion.

Perdue, I made a very similar post to yours in Money Matters 101. Becoming a jackpot winner of any magnitude presents a plethora of problems which are all danger related. People are looking for the opportunity to get something for nothing all the time...aka THIEVES!! Look at the piracy situation which was and is still at hand.

Once you're made public you actually become a target for even a "low level" thief and especially kidnappers. The real problem here is that jackpot winners don't know how to handle themselves when coming into all that money. They completely forget about safety to think about what all they're going to buy, where they're going to go, and so on. Getting a good trustworthy lawer, setting up accounts, following through with tax documentaion, "enforcing their right to privacy", and just general business never crosses their mind.

As I said in my post, one needs time to "condition" themself for this type of occasion. Take some serious down time to gather yourself and do some real business and it'll be the best investment you can make from that point forward. Just my opinion, also.