Michigan lottery winners could remain anonymous under House bill

May 14, 2015, 8:12 am (18 comments)

Michigan Lottery

LANSING, Mich. — You've heard the touching stories: a waitress, retiree or unemployed worker hits the jackpot and wins the state lottery.

Under a bill approved by the Michigan House Regulatory Reform committee on a 13-2 vote Wednesday, those stories would probably disappear because all lottery winners would be able to remain anonymous.

The bill would prohibit the state lottery office from disclosing information about an individual who won any lottery prize unless that winner authorizes the release of information. That option for anonymity exists now for people who win more than $10,000, but not for people who win the Mega Millions or Powerball prizes.

Currently six states — Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina — allow lottery winners to remain anonymous. And four more — Colorado, Connecticut, Vermont and Massachusetts — allow anonymity if the winners claim their winnings through a trust.

"Lottery winnings, while for many is a major plus in their live, it can be a major negative at times," said state Rep. Ray Franz, R-Onekama. "It costs friendships. It costs family relationships. It costs jobs. I thought it should be an option that's available."

The Lottery Commission is against the bill because they say it will hamper the agency's ability to generate publicity, and ultimately, sales of lottery tickets. A decline in lottery sales would reduce revenues to the school aid fund, the commission said. The fund received $742.8 million from lottery revenues in the last fiscal year.

Of the 87 lottery winners of more than $50,000 in 2014, 69% decided to remain anonymous, said Jeff Holyfield, spokesman for the Lottery Commission. Only one Michigan resident won a Mega Millions pot of $66 million last year and her name was made public.

"We look at it as a step backward in terms of openness and transparency," Holyfield said.

The bill — HB 4433 — now moves to the full House for consideration.

Detroit Free Press

Comments

music*'s avatarmusic*

 Michigan can be #7 .   The Lottery Commission is so self serving and not looking out for winners best interest.

Rman313's avatarRman313

Thumbs UpThats some very good information to know.

sully16's avatarsully16

Good news.

plumsage's avatarplumsage

Actually this would spur me on to play MM and PB.  I do not now because I do not want my name made public.

jjtheprince

While other states consider bills for winners to remain anonymous, my state wants to reveal MORE personal info of winners such as current street address, date of birth, and social security number.  They already have to have your name and picture, isn't that enough?

Saylorgirl's avatarSaylorgirl

Quote: Originally posted by jjtheprince on May 14, 2015

While other states consider bills for winners to remain anonymous, my state wants to reveal MORE personal info of winners such as current street address, date of birth, and social security number.  They already have to have your name and picture, isn't that enough?

Well, it is the "show me state".

Lynn-Lynn's avatarLynn-Lynn

It would be nice if you get to make the decision. A lot of us don't want to be identified by the lottery. I know i don't.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

I hope this bill passes and it encourages more states to look into giving the option of anonymity to their lottery winners as well.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by ThatScaryChick on May 14, 2015

I hope this bill passes and it encourages more states to look into giving the option of anonymity to their lottery winners as well.

Skeptical one can only hope .....

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

Give the people the option to choose what they want. Anonymity is the only smart way to go. If you win and want publicity, it's up to you to go out there and make an ass of yourself but please, don't take us all down with you.

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

Good for Michigan !

I just got back from Delaware, not a bad ride once you get past NJ 42/ I 295 construction zone.

pickone4me's avatarpickone4me

Quote: Originally posted by plumsage on May 14, 2015

Actually this would spur me on to play MM and PB.  I do not now because I do not want my name made public.

That is one of the reasons I don't play games with large jackpots,  my other reasons are well known here,  so I don't need to mention them.

Think's avatarThink

---"We look at it as a step backward in terms of openness and transparency," Holyfield said.

They are not interested in openness and transparency.  Somewhere along the line the minimum rollover on the classic 47 game changed from $100,000 to $50,000 and there never was any announcement on the web site that it was going to happen.
They also changed the web site and either took a whole lot of information off of it or made it a lot harder to access.
Further, they don't clearly post the liability limits for each draw game on the official Michigan lottery website!

They are not interested in openness and transparency.  They should stop trying to slip stuff by us and stop their specious arguments and allow anonymity for ALL draw games in Michigan!

I would also like to point out to the people that didn't notice that MSL made absolutely no argument of a sales drop after they enacted anonymity on the games back in 1988.

They don't have data on a sales drop because there wasn't any!! 

Cut the B*llsh!t and pass the bill!!!

Teddi's avatarTeddi

Quote: Originally posted by Think on May 15, 2015

---"We look at it as a step backward in terms of openness and transparency," Holyfield said.

They are not interested in openness and transparency.  Somewhere along the line the minimum rollover on the classic 47 game changed from $100,000 to $50,000 and there never was any announcement on the web site that it was going to happen.
They also changed the web site and either took a whole lot of information off of it or made it a lot harder to access.
Further, they don't clearly post the liability limits for each draw game on the official Michigan lottery website!

They are not interested in openness and transparency.  They should stop trying to slip stuff by us and stop their specious arguments and allow anonymity for ALL draw games in Michigan!

I would also like to point out to the people that didn't notice that MSL made absolutely no argument of a sales drop after they enacted anonymity on the games back in 1988.

They don't have data on a sales drop because there wasn't any!! 

Cut the B*llsh!t and pass the bill!!!

I always love it when they try to claim openness and transparency in the hopes that there are enough gullible idiots around who would actually buy that argument. It's about money, and mandatory publicity provides them with an endless supply of free advertising.

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