Washington State Gambling Commission
Dear Commissioners,
Re: Support for Lottery Winner Privacy
We are writing to ask for your support in strengthening privacy protections for Washington Lottery winners.
With Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots reaching a billion dollars or more, winning a lottery prize can bring far more than financial security. Public disclosure of a winner’s identity can expose them and their families to unwanted attention, scams, harassment, and potential safety risks.
While House Bill 1221 is a step toward addressing this issue, we believe it does not go far enough to adequately protect winners’ privacy. Washington should consider an approach similar to Oregon’s, allowing winners to keep their names and home addresses confidential while still permitting the Lottery and appropriate government agencies to verify winners and administer prizes.
It is not our intention to encourage lottery sales to move from Washington to Oregon. However, under the laws as they currently stand, some players may feel more comfortable purchasing lottery tickets in Oregon because of its stronger privacy protections. Washington should give its lottery players comparable protections so they can participate with greater confidence that their personal privacy will be respected.
We respectfully ask the Commission to support stronger privacy protections and advocate for giving Washington Lottery winners the choice to keep their identities private from the general public.
Until meaningful privacy protections are written into law, we intend to continue sharing the enclosed flyer and enlist others across Washington to help spread the word. Our goal is to reach lottery players statewide, raise awareness of the privacy concerns, and build support for meaningful legislative change.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
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WASHINGTON LOTTERY WINNERS
WIN IN WASHINGTON. YOUR NAME CAN BECOME PUBLIC.
Under Washington law, a lottery winner’s name and city or town of residence may be publicly disclosed. Although these details may seem limited, they can help others identify the winner and connect them to additional personal information available through public records, people-search websites, and social media. This information may include home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, property records, employment details, and family relationships. The resulting loss of privacy can affect not only the winner but also their relatives and close associates, potentially creating unwanted contact, harassment, or safety concerns.
WIN IN WASHINGTON → CLAIM YOUR PRIZE → YOUR NAME CAN BECOME PUBLIC
OREGON OFFERS A DIFFERENT APPROACH
WASHINGTON RESIDENTS CAN BUY OREGON LOTTERY TICKETS WHILE IN OREGON.
In 2025, Oregon passed a law protecting lottery winners’ names and addresses from public disclosure unless the winners give written permission.
YOUR NAME AND HOME ADDRESS CAN BE KEPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.
The Oregon Lottery still knows the winner’s identity and verifies the winning ticket and claim before awarding the prize. Other information can still be made public, including the winner’s city, state and ZIP code, prize amount, game, and the retailer that sold the winning ticket.
WHY LOTTERY WINNER PRIVACY MATTERS
A major lottery win can bring unwanted attention and expose winners and their families to risks they never anticipated. Privacy can help protect:
• Personal and family safety — Reducing the risk of unwanted contact, stalking, harassment, or threats while protecting children and loved ones from unwanted attention and intrusions into their lives.
• Protection from scams and solicitation — Reducing the risk of fraud, financial exploitation, and persistent requests for money, as well as scammers impersonating lottery winners and falsely claiming to give away money to deceive and defraud others.
• Personal financial privacy — Keeping details of one’s wealth and financial circumstances private.
• The ability to live a normal life — Enjoying everyday activities without unwanted publicity, intrusive attention, or pressure from others.
GIVE WASHINGTON LOTTERY WINNERS A CHOICE!
Ask Washington State legislators to give lottery winners the choice to keep their identities private.
➜➜ SEE BACK
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WANT TO CHANGE WASHINGTON’S LOTTERY WINNER PRIVACY LAW?
CONTACT YOUR WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATORS
Every Washington legislative district has one State Senator and two State Representatives. You can contact all three to ask for a change in lottery-winner privacy law.
1. FIND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS
LEG.WA.GOV/LEGISLATORS
Visit the official Washington State Legislature website and use “Find your legislative district.” Enter your home address to identify your:
State Senator • State Representative #1 • State Representative #2
Use their official pages to find contact information.
2. SEND THEM A MESSAGE
Keep your message short, specific, and respectful. You can write:
“I am a constituent from [City], Washington, asking you to support legislation that would allow lottery winners to keep their names and home addresses private from the general public, while allowing the Lottery and appropriate government agencies to verify winners and administer prizes.”
You can also explain why lottery-winner privacy matters to you. For example:
“I would prefer to support Washington’s Lottery, but concerns about lottery-winner privacy make purchasing tickets in Oregon more appealing. I believe Washington should consider similar privacy protections so residents can feel more comfortable playing the state lottery.”
3. CALL THE LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE
1-800-562-6000
The Washington Legislative Hotline can forward a message to the state legislators representing your district.
4. ASK FOR LEGISLATION
You do not need a bill number to contact your legislators.
“Will you consider sponsoring or supporting legislation that would allow Washington Lottery winners to keep their names and addresses private from the general public?”
You can also ask whether legislation has already been introduced and how to follow its progress.
GIVE WASHINGTON LOTTERY WINNERS A CHOICE!
ASK YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT LOTTERY WINNER PRIVACY.
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