New law takes effect in August
By Kate Northrop
Lottery winners in Missouri will soon be able to claim their prizes under full anonymity once a new law takes effect in August.
On Tuesday afternoon, Governor Mike Parson signed four bills into law, one of which allows Missouri Lottery winners the ability to keep their names a secret.
According to a press release from the Governor's website, HB 402 prohibits the Lottery Commission from publishing a winner's name unless they have written permission from the winner.
The bill reverses the state's longtime stance on using winner's likenesses as promotional material for the Lottery. Currently, the Lottery publishes the names of winners on their website, their city of residence, their prize amount, the game they played, and the retailer they purchased their winning ticket from.
"Any legislation we get across the finish line that protects Missourians' privacy and safety is a win for Missouri," Parson told The Associated Press.
State Representative Jay Mosley sponsored the bill for the past three years before it finally made it to Parson's desk. Both the Senate and House unanimously approved the bill on a vote 33-0 and 149-0, respectively.
"This is a safety issue and a way to give winners protection from being easily targeted," he said during the legislative process last year. "Many winners have talked about how winning a lottery prize brought them unwanted attention. This bill is simply a way to allow people to feel safe when they win."
However, the Missouri Press Association (MPA) argued that advertising winners builds trust, while the Lottery says that it increases ticket sales.
"Keeping the names of Lottery winners open promotes transparency and a feeling of fairness in the operation of the Missouri Lottery," MPA said in a written testimony opposing HB 402. "Publishing the winners' names is good for the entire Lottery system. Revealing Lottery winners' names builds trust and excitement, which drives ticket sales."
Mosley contended that the Lottery is actually losing out on sales because of its publishing practices. He argued that Missouri residents are driving across state borders to Kansas to buy lottery tickets, where winners may remain anonymous.
"There are like ten other states — Kansas is one of them — that have anonymity, and I just thought it would be a good thing for us to have," Mosely said in May.
The new law signed by Parson will go into effect on Aug. 28, 2021, which would make it a misdemeanor crime for the Lottery to publicly release identifying information about winners, punishable by up to a year in jail (for the Lottery official or contractor in question) and a fine of $2,000.
To learn more about lottery anonymity laws for each state, Lottery Post maintains a comprehensive list in its lottery forums.
and another cloaking device is activated LOL
I still don't like this. It doesn't need to be easier to commit fraud.
"The bill reverses the state's longtime stance on using winner's likenesses as promotional material for the Lottery."
The Supreme Court just made a similar ruling that effects colleges from using the likenesses of athletes. Wonder if that might have the same effect on every state lottery and allow all winners to remain anonymous?
Now all the paranoid lottery winners form Missouri don't have to worry.
Great. As soon as other States follow, Lottery Players will be a lot Safer.
"The Supreme Court just made a similar ruling that effects colleges from using the likenesses of athletes."
Unless there's a different case that I haven't heard of that's not even remotely close to what the ruling was. About a week ago the court ruled that the NCAA couldn't limit colleges' educational benefits to student athletes. If the court had issued a (probably pointless and irrelevant) ruling that colleges couldn't use student athletes' likenesses without permission I can't imagine what reasoning would extend that ruling to lottery winners.
I live 3 miles from Kansas and buy all my tickets on the Kansas side. I never wanted to be in the public eye.
The SCOTUS ruling has no bearing whatsoever on any lottery. Do I and probably most LP members wish all states would be anonymous....a resounding yes!
Safety and confidentiality are most important. Not everyone has intentions to defraud the lottery. Those who do are eventually caught and can then be plastered on TV.
Fraud by who ??? Please enlighten me on the scheme(s) and how it involves lottery officials( check issuers)
The UK National Lottery, where winners have always had the right to anonymity and the vast majority of winners choose to avail of the option, is the most successful lottery in the world.
This is how the list looks now!
News :: The Official Web Site of the Missouri Lottery (molottery.com)
Yes, folks so nosey, they look at this list, and when they see you , "I see you won $3,250.00 on pick 4"?
Will not have to hear that again, lmaooooooooooooooooooooo.
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Like this right here, I knew about it, before it was published, because, he shops at a gas station I frequent.
Be safe and enjoy your winnings.
Show Me Cash winners:
*John Muldoon, Ballwin, $315,000
*Billy Utterback, Paris, $76,000
*Roland Wilson, St. Louis (63147), $344,000
Might as well plaster their pictures next to the winning!
The day that the California Lottery does this, l will swim shark infested waters.
Probably should have said "effects how the athletes use the likenesses."
Don't live in Missouri so I don't know if the Missouri Lottery used pictures of lottery winners holding a gigantic check for ads or not, but according to the new law, winners decide if that lottery can use their names and likeness. Because of the recent Court ruling, state legislators can create laws on how the likeness of college athletes are used.
Because of the ruling, "The NCAA's interim policy, which takes effect Thursday June 24, allows athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness as long as they follow any relevant state laws."
The similarity is state legislators can create laws on how lottery winners and college athletes' likeness and images are use in their state. Some of the University of Kentucky athletes have already come up with unique and interesting ways to make a buck or two off their names.
Noise-gate...you could swim in shark infested waters if your Legislature ever allowed for Megaplier or Powerplay on your lotteries!!
You have never heard of Eddie Tipton??? People will always try to cheat any system whether they are rich or poor.
People who have more money than lottery winners walk around every day with no problem if you are concerned about safety. Eventually caught meaning it could be years of cheating going on and it could have been you that won not the cheater.
Kansas does that picture an name
"The similarity is state legislators can create laws on how lottery winners and college athletes' likeness and images are use in their state"
There's absolutely nothing new about that, and no connection to the court ruling. The entire reason that lotteries have been using winners to promote the games is because state legislators wrote laws that either specifically allowed it or that the lotteries interpreted as requiring them to release the names of winners. Even if a majority of the court suddenly embraces a constitutional right to privacy I don't that would necessarily change anything, whether for lottery winners or student athletes. Colleges aren't required to let every student play sports, and even if they were they're not required to give them anything in exchange. OTOH, colleges are free to offer benefits to students under the condition that the college can use the student's name and likeness, and the students are free to agree or to not accept the benefits. The lottery isn't any different. Playing is voluntary, and when you play you agree to any rules that are in affect. Even with a constitutional right to privacy there's nothing to prevent players from waiving that right in order to be allowed to play. I can conceive of a legal argument that a right to privacy should prohibit the government from requiring players to waive their right to privacy, but I don't see that happening.
Like I said in the last post, because of the Court ruling, "The NCAA's interim policy, which takes effect Thursday June 24, allows athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness as long as they follow any relevant state laws."
State law makers can decide how athletes can benefit from their name, image and likeness in that state only. Just like state law makers can decide if lottery winners can claim anonymously. I never said the Court ruling had any effect on lottery winners.
No kidding and I never said the Court's ruling on student athletes effected any state lottery.
"Do I and probably most LP members wish all states would be anonymous"
Here's a free tip, only play lottery games in states allowing winners to claim anonymously.
Anyone with an IQ 4 points higher than a handball that plays the lottery has heard of Eddie Tipton and his criminal shenanigans. He was caught and so were his conspirators,which had nothing to do with remaining anonymous. Look at the articles on this site to verify. Cheating a computer lottery system(RNG) is always possibility (IMHO).. Cheating and anonymity are 2 separate issues. This about people's personal safety and right to having privacy with their winnings/earnings. Not every persons wealth needs the public scrutiny or the " I need to know how much you have and where you live" additive. Unless of course, you want the attention like a 5 year old with a shiny new toy or you are forced to be paraded out in front of the media by the respective state you reside in. Having a choice of privacy should be an option as opposed to the "too bad,you don't get to choose and suffer any future potential consequences of unethical people who look at you as a target rich environment". The right to privacy in this country has always been a mainstay and it should be in every state when it comes to winning money. Your need to know should never outweigh/exceed my right to privacy. Just my 2 pennies on the topic.