Okla. lawmaker aims to stop lottery winners from staying anonymous

Comment #33

mr twentyone — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 02:42:57 GMT

hey and put their picture on the phone book with their address so they can be called from every where , you know once you got money , every tom paul and tim is your cousin, and they all need something,,, hey senator here i am ,

Comment #32

justxploring — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:37:06 GMT

I am certain NH allows winners to remain anonymous whether or not they state it. The reason is because in May I posted that when I lived in NH a person could not remain anonymous and copied the rules onto my post. Then I read an article announcing that someone in NH won $85 million playing PB and they decided to remain anonymous and I apologized. I'd have to go all the way back and check my posts, but I am very sure I read in the paper that the lottery in NH announced they would honor the winne... [ More ]

Comment #31

guesser — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:14:44 GMT

Most everything we do in life is by someone else's rules, except for two things I can think of:

1) Commit crimes

2) What we do AFTER we win the PB Jackpot.

Comment #30

heal3r — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:59:36 GMT

Lottery is a game, much like hollywood stars exist for our entertainment. A lottery winner gets spotlight status same as an actor in a show. The lottery show, gets great promotion from its winners. I'm surprised they don't take greater advantage. Truth is, we'd do more for less. We are lottery crazy. If they said we had to live in a certain home, and travel teh state representing the lottery, we'd still pay to play.

While personally, based on experience and observation, I'd prefer win... [ More ]

Comment #29

okmarc — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:30:31 GMT

It is fun to read about the big winners and it is good advertising for the lottery, but I still believe winners should be allowed to remain anonymous by using a trust.

Today is the one year anniversary of the Oklahoma Lottery. The first scratch off tickets were sold on the morning of October 12, 2005, and Pick 3 drawings started the following month.

I have enjoyed playing the Oklahoma Lottery for the past year.

Comment #28

guesser — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 18:30:43 GMT

Yeah, I kinda figured the 'gifting' taxes, etc.

Best thing to do:

Win.

Move.

Or actually:

Win

Disconnect phone

Move

Claim winnings.

Comment #27

KY Floyd — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:13:40 GMT

Unless the rules violate the law, the lottery commissions can pretty much make whatever rules they want to. Missouri didn't lose the case because they can't change the claim period, they lost because they can't change the rules after the fact. Somebody who bought a ticket when the claim period was one year has one year to make their claim because that's the rule that was in effect when they bought their ticket.

Comment #26

KY Floyd — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:01:58 GMT

I'm guessing that wouldn't work. The state wants the name of the winner, not the winner's representative. If you have somebody claim the prize as the winner and then they give the money to you, it will be a gift that's subject to gift taxes and that would be after they had already paid income tax.

Comment #25

rdc137 — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 05:41:08 GMT

(hopefully someone you know and you've been kind to when they were poor!),

And I would tell you where to put your share of the jackpot

Comment #24

guesser — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 03:57:07 GMT

'(hopefully you know and you've been kind to when they were poor!')

YOU are the reason folks want to remain anonymous

Comment #23

guesser — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 03:52:00 GMT

So you name a (paid) legal guardian (lawyer, 'spokesperson') of the trust to take the winnings in his name, he takes his cut (after taxes), and you take the rest from the trust.

Or is that not a viable option

Comment #22

rdc137 — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 03:24:00 GMT

South Carolina and North Dakota are also listed on Powerball's site.

Comment #21

LckyLary — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 02:14:29 GMT

The Lottery is more fun when, even when you lose, at least you can see who did win (hopefully someone you know and you've been kind to when they were poor!), and it's interesting to read the story behind the ticket purchase i.e. I just wanted to get a cup of coffee and I played 1 ticket just for the heck of it... and often the escapades of the winner afterward. If you're afraid of winning then don't play for big jackpots.

Comment #20

CA LotteryGuy — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:56:53 GMT

For the sake of discussion, why do you say they would lose that in court? The California Lottery says, these are the rules of our game. If you win you must identfiy yourself. You can claim it as a corporation, but you must provide the name of a natural person. Nothing against the law there. I don't see this to be illegal as long as they enforce the rule to everyone and it doesn't violate any exsiting Federal Law. Also should you try to fight this all thoughts of being anonymous are out the... [ More ]

Comment #19

tmcdill — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:03:20 GMT

They'd lose that in court.

The Missouri Lottery just lost a case where they changed the period for online tickets from 1 year to 6 months.

The person had a winning lotto ticket from Missouri and moved out of state. During that time, Missouri changed the time from 1 year to 6 months.

The winner tried to claim the ticket, but the Missouri Lottery Commission said 'no way, we are the sole maker of rules for the lottery in this state, and we changed the rules'.

The courts said... [ More ]

Comment #18

CA LotteryGuy — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:44:21 GMT

tmcdill...regarding your response, I thought the exact same thing until I came across the following:

Claimant Status: Prize winnings may be paid to natural persons or to business entities, including for profit or non-profit corporations and charitable organizations, subject to lottery rules and regulations. The Director shall have the discretion to require a business entity to provide the name of a natural person to whom the prize winnings may be paid.

What I think the lottery is referr... [ More ]

Comment #17

tmcdill — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:16:31 GMT

Thanks for the good information.

And I'm not trying to fight, but ALL states allow corporations and trusts formed by the winners to claim lottery prizes. And, you can make all corporations and trusts so that the real owner's names are hidden.

From the California lottery code:

5. ASSIGNMENT OF PRIZE TO A REVOCABLE TRUST DURING THE LIFE OF

THE WINNER

a. During the winner s lifetime, the winner may assign his or her rights to all or

a portion of a prize to a quali... [ More ]

Comment #16

CA LotteryGuy — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:43:14 GMT

tmcdill...there is a third state that allows winners to remain anomymous, Maryland. This occured with a Mega Millions jackpot winner from July of this year.

As far as trusts are concerned, I think there are a few states where you can use this method to keep a winners identity secret: New Hampshire, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma (for now) and Pennsylvania. I gathered some of this information from the list of Powerball winners on the Powerball web site. Ohio is a Mega Millions state that had f... [ More ]

Comment #15

tmcdill — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 03:07:59 GMT

In Delaware, the lottery knows the identity of the winner, but keeps it anomymous. If a trust is created for the lottery winner, the trust official walks into the lottery office on the winner's behalf, and the lottery pays to the trust, which is a legal entity like a corporation. The lottery office has no idea who the actual winner is.....as for legal purposes, it's the trust that's been created.

I believe Delaware and Kansas are the only 2 states that I've heard of that allow winners to rema... [ More ]

Comment #14

rdc137 — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 02:56:11 GMT

The Delaware Lottery, while allowing anonymous winners, will keep after tax winnings if you have a state judgement against you for back taxes or child support.

If that law passes I say boycott Oklahoma's lottery. That will be easy for me because I don't live anywhere near it. Proposals like this make me want to .

Comment #13

tmcdill — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:27:58 GMT

The law that allows trusts to be created is federal, not state. Another attempt by a hick state legislator to get some ink with a crazy press release.

The only law change that would help lotteries is to exempt lottery winners from state ,and especially, federal taxes. The amount of new people playing the lottery would greatly offset the slight amount of revenue lost.

Comment #12

hsg2000 — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 18:31:36 GMT

We should have right to remain annonyimpus because of being harassed by lots of deadbeats and stalkers. The child support stuff is bull

Comment #11

KY Floyd — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 18:11:12 GMT

I'm guessing that the statement is the result of a stupid politician meaning that it would be okay for a trust to claim a prize if the trust was formed before the ticket was purchased. The article suggests that his issue is with people forming a trust specifically to claim a prize they have already won. Since trusts and corporations are already legal entities they have the right to buy and own lottery tickets, as well as other property. Of course that begs the question of what his legislation w... [ More ]

Comment #10

nc6string — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 15:42:15 GMT

Deadbeat dads who owe thousands of dollars in child support could avoid paying it if they won the lottery and created a trust, Jolley said.

Lottery winners might be illegal drug users, cheats and sneaks too, I say slap on a rubber glove and do a strip search. In addition to the bullseye on the house and the billboards on the interstate with detailed directions to the winners house. Yes, the public would feel so much better about the lottery then Mr. Jolley. Good to see you're not wasting... [ More ]

Comment #9

mr twentyone — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 11:53:26 GMT

MORNING PEOPLE : i agree with surge , there must be a way that you can remain anonymous to the public safety, while i understand that some people might owe thousands in child support, i feel that the lottery commission should know who they are paying this money to, they should be able to do a proper background check on people, i feel if you make a winners name public you are also makeing a way for them to be victums to crimes , just remember mr senator , it could be you or your family who

Comment #8

Surge — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 06:20:41 GMT

I think anyone and everyone has to right to remain anonymous if they win the jackpot. Not everyone wants that rockstar status that wreakshavock mentioned. I'd want to walk around with a big bankroll and have people in awe and wonder what the heck I do for a living, and how I got my money. I don't want a soul knowing how much I have in my bank account. It's no one's business!!!

Perhaps the government and the state should do a background check when they're taking out taxes to make sur... [ More ]

Comment #7

Coin Toss — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 05:49:21 GMT

wpb

Exactly. This is just another example of what can happen when someone who is absolutely clueless gets involved in something they have no business being involved in.

Comment #6

dvdiva — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 05:28:13 GMT

I personally can't wait for the issue to be resolved once and for all. Eventually a winner will warn the lottery not to release his/her name for security reasons, the lottery will refuse and the winner dies or is seriously injured. The lawsuit resulting from such an act will cause the estate of the winner to have more to give out and give a wake up call to lotteries exposing winners to potential crime.

Winners should always have the final say in how monies should be distributed not the state.... [ More ]

Comment #5

Skylaquisha — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 05:09:27 GMT

Hahaha.....NO! That's too much.

Comment #4

GASMETERGUY — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 02:54:41 GMT

I totally disagree. I think winners should be named, photos taken, home phone numbers published, addresses given out, and maps to their home distributed along the highway as well as that 10 foot tall bull's eye they tack on your house after you won the lottory. Just the bull's eye alone is not getting the job done. People are still claiming jackpots.

Comment #3

wpb — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:31:46 GMT

This can be done by having a copy of the check or debit card that was used to purchase lottery tickets, he said.

Are there any states that allow you to buy lottery tickets with a check

Comment #2

Skylaquisha — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 19:47:15 GMT

I think that all states should allow lottery winners their anonymity. I would have major reservations about having my name and winnings posted somewhere for everyone to see. Buuuutttt....If that's what is required to receive the money, I guess I would have to accept having my name out there....right before moving out of town....

Comment #1

wreakshavok777 — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:54:08 GMT

I think its a good thing ...you should have your name and town posted up online. It gives other people the hope that one day it will be them getting all the phone calls from long lost relatives... friends and whoever else that might feel the urge to call you ask for that small personal loan. Its the rockstar status we all want, show me the winning ticket and i'll deal with everything else that comes with it later. thanks

RSU... [ More ]

Okla. lawmaker aims to stop lottery winners from staying anonymous

Lottery Post — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 16:03:02 GMT

An Oklahoma state senator from Edmond plans to introduce legislation to prohibit people from forming anonymous trusts after learning they have won a lottery prize.

Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, said this proposed legislation stems from instances including one this week where a trust claimed a lottery prize.

We were told the lottery would be open, it would be transparent full accountability. We would know the name and towns of everyone who had won, Jolley said. I think winners being a... [ More ]