Latest bill amendment removes $1 million threshold

By Kate Northrop

Under a new state law, all Virginia lottery winners can now remain anonymous, regardless of the prize amount.

Virginia legislators passed an amendment that removes the prize threshold for anonymous claims and allows all winners to withhold their identity from the public.

As of July 1, only lottery winners of $1 million or more could withhold permission for the Virginia Lottery to publish their name and hometown in press releases and marketing materials. It was a relatively recent adjustment to state law from a bill passed just last year.

In April, Governor Abigail Spanberger signed SB701 into law, which amends HB-1799 to remove the clause that specifies that only winners of $1 million or more remain anonymous.

Now, the Virginia Lottery cannot disclose any individual winner's name, hometown, or prize amount at any prize level unless the winner consents in writing.

It also means that the Lottery will no longer publish the names of Lottery Rewards or second chance prize winners on its website, rather the Lottery will notify winners by email after drawings.

It is recommended that Virginia players log in to their Lottery accounts to ensure that their email address and phone number are up-to-date to avoid missing important notifications.

"If you don't, there's a chance you might win but won't get the notification because we sent it to an old email address!" the Lottery said in a public notice.

Players should contact the Lottery by phone to confirm the authenticity of any communications, including emails.

Lottery Post maintains a state-by-state list of anonymity laws for lottery winners in the United States and other countries.