CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The times of the big lottery check presentations may soon come to an end in West Virginia.
Winners of big jackpots would no longer have to make required public appearances to claim those prizes if a bill that's moving at the State Capitol becomes law.
The West Virginia Lottery is opposing the bill because of what John Myers, acting director of the Lottery, called "an expectation of transparency" among players.
"They want to know that, when we tell them that there's a grand prize winner, that we actually give that money away and that it's to somebody that played the game and followed the rules," he said. "That's important to our players."
Public prize claims also help drive sales, according to Myers.
"This really sets this apart as a big game, a big reward and people know that and that's why, I think, we see the place on that game (Powerball and the like) that we don't see on some of the others," he said.
The House bill, now pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, adds a section to the West Virginia Lottery Act.
With it, a Powerball, Mega Millions or Hot Lotto winner could choose to remain anonymous and there would be an allowance for a Freedom of Information Act exemption if a person opts to accept a jackpot prize anonymously to keep it that way.
The winner would be permitted to contact the lottery director at West Virginia Lottery headquarters in Charleston in writing — either via certified mail or e-mail.
At that point, it would then be up to the lottery director to schedule an appointment "at any county, regional or state lottery office to confirm the winning number and to otherwise secure the anonymity of the requesting person."
The big press events that follow large jackpot prizes currently in West Virginia can help winners maintain more privacy in the long run, argued Myers.
"If we don't do it all at one time, sometimes they'll have people knocking on their doors wanting an interview for weeks at a time after they've won it. It tends to get it all over, they can get on with their lives," he said.
Delegate Stephen Skinner (D-Jefferson, 67) is the lead sponsor of HB 4505. The House of Delegates approved it Monday with a 95-3 vote and sent it on to the Senate with the 2016 Regular Session scheduled to close on Saturday, March 12.
Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina are the only states that currently allow lottery winners to remain anonymous. There are some disclosure exceptions in other states.
They're opposed to it B/C of all the problems anonymity caused in DE KS MD and others...
let's see there was...umm...well there was uh...no...in one place they had...uh...nevermind !
Thank You Delegate Stephen Skinner (D-Jefferson,67). I hope it passes in the Senate.
This is too late to help Andrew Jackson "Jack" Whitaker winner of Power Ball $315 million.
I wonder how many winners will want to go public and do the press event?
"If we don't do it all at one time, sometimes they'll have people knocking on their doors wanting an interview for weeks at a time after they've won it. It tends to get it all over, they can get on with their lives," he said.
Bull. People could pack up and move or go on extended vacation and then move. People know what's best for them and they dont need gov officials making life changing decisions for them. Plus, bottom line the state wants the free publicity to drive sales. That's it in a nutshell.
Jack caused his own problems.
Who in their right mind leaves thousands of dollars in their truck at a strip joint?
"If we don't do it all at one time, sometimes they'll have people knocking on their doors wanting an interview for weeks at a time after they've won it. It tends to get it all over, they can get on with their lives," he said.
No, Einstein. If they're allowed to stay anonymous, no one will be knocking on their door because no one will know who they are!
That's how I originally interpreted it. But I think he is justifying why they had press conferences when anonymity was not allowed.
I remember Brad Duke said they were people camping out on his front lawn after he won. Like wtf is wrong with some people to think it's okay to do something like that.
Naming winners is free publicity. It drives up sales and brings their advertisement budget in under cap = Big Fat Bonus for the lottery senior management. While I'm all for performance-based bonuses, not at the expense of someone possibly being harmed by exposure.
We shall not forget family and friends who beg & beg. "Friends and relations are the worst." Spoken by a lottery winner who donates one hundred dollars to charity when the Chicago White Sox hits a home run, in honor of his late wife. Alex Snelius. I found him using LP's Search box. $18.5 M lottery winner scraping by.
It has been said that we do not have to fear the gangs in the hood but instead beware of foxes disguised in business suits. They come in sheep's clothing.
Is the State Lottery Commision that Niave' ? If a Lawyer or represntitive picks up the check, that's proof enough.
They need to get their act together if they're going to continue as paid employee's. Unbelievable.
The need for privacy is a must......
I think a more important issue would be for
WV to lower the 6.5% state lotto-prize tax.
New York has the highest lotto tax at 8.8%.
And, the higher the jackpot, the higher 'their' tax,
when you and I have often spent our last dollar buying a doggone lotto ticket.
New Jersey has the lowest tax at 3%.
So, isn't lowering the state lotto-prize tax, nationwide, a more important issue?
What would the states do then?
Drop lotto once and for all, with the big lobby they have?
Groppo, California, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee do not tax lottery winnings.
The House bill, now pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, adds a section to the West Virginia Lottery Act. With it, a Powerball, Mega Millions or Hot Lotto winner could choose to remain anonymous and there would be an allowance for a Freedom of Information Act exemption if a person opts to accept a jackpot prize anonymously to keep it that way.
It's not about what's important to players, but public records and the question of should lottery winnings be exempt when other public records are not. The Freedom of Information Act applies to previously unreleased information. I'm not against being more flexible for winners wanting to remain anonymous, but they shouldn't get more protection.
it should be no anonymity. We need to know if a real person has won that's all. Just because people want your money doesn't mean you have to give it to them. They want mine now and I'm not rich now that won't change if and when I hit it big, so I couldn't care less it NC wanted to print my name
"Just because people want your money doesn't mean you have to give it to them"
Tell that to the last person who got shot while being robbed
Pfft. Expectation of transparency, my great Aunt Petunia; this is nothing more than a sleazy attempt by the WV lottery officials to line their pockets. As they said in the article, publicity drives sales. The lottery executives compensation is partly driven by increasing sales; they want people being photographed standing at the press conference, receiving that huge oversized check; they make more money that way.
What they don't say in the article is the lottery executives know from experience the problems that will be headed the lottery winners way. You know, mail stolen, car stolen, home burglarized, home invasion robbery, stalkers, strangers writing/e-mailing/calling/asking you to your face for money (even at your home), family jealousies splitting families as relatives demand a piece, friends & neighbors either asking for money or turning their backs on them, kidnapping attempts, destruction of property. Then there's the crazies who want to hurt lottery winners... or worse. Oh yes, the lottery executives know exactly what is headed their way... and the only thing they tell these lottery winners (who they would happily prop up in front on the cameras, potentially creating pain in their lives) is "you might want to talk to an attorney".
As far as I'm concerned, the states lotteries should either A) allow blind trusts to be set up, to shield the identities of the winners, B) allow a 6 month blackout period before winners identities can be released (giving them time to sort out these issues & take steps to minimize them) or C) provide anonymity in perpetuity, should the winner request it. A really spectacular event like a lottery win shouldn't be an entre to a disastrous future life...
Jersey is 10.8 % the highest.
Savagegoose said Australia makes it an option on the play slips - NP - No Publicity.
There's no reason US lotteries can't do that.
Pennsylvania doesn't have a tax on lottery winnings either.
In all of the rhetoric you can find the truth:
"Public prize claims also help drive sales, according to Myers".
The UK lottery, which is the most successful lottery in the world, allows winners to remain anonymous. The British people trust the UK National Lottery, and support the right to anonymity, as they would also like to have the right to anonymity if they were lucky enough to win.
A representative such as their lawyer picking up the check should be more then enough to satisfy people that the check was paid out to a real person...nobody needs to know the identity of the winner the lawyer is representing. I have no need to know that information neither does anyone else. The lottery makes enough money they don't need to put winners lives in danger so they can boost their sales further. It should have been like this from the get go.
Candellight777,
Once again, may I suggest the Jackpot Winners Protection Program?
it will, its in the budget. Pa is going tax lottery winnings. Gov Wolf is one dot away from signing it. Ask the Pa website help desk, they will affirm its going to happen.
Transperancy has yet to be proven dishonest. funny how that works.
Yet hide something and it looks shady. I imagine the lottery saying ummm yeah... someone claimed it when there is no one to challenge it... Do you really trust them to say that and not question the authenticity?? That is an old kinda nieve if ever there was...