Winning in a lottery is definitely an exciting experience – after all, who wouldn’t want to have a few million dollars at their disposal? However, what happens after you actually win? Well, many lottery winners remain anonymous – or at least try to, since it is not as easy as one might think.
As the experts from Lottery Critic say, “Only 9 US states allow lottery winners to protect their privacy and stay anonymous. Those are Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, and Texas. Some states have different rules. For some lotteries, only winners of prizes over a certain threshold are allowed to remain anonymous.”
So, why are the winners made to go public? Why would they want to remain anonymous? Is it possible, and how does it work? If you want to find out the answers to those questions and more, all you have to do is keep reading.
Why do lottery winners have to go public?
Probably the first thing that you’d want to know after finding out that remaining anonymous after winning the lottery is not easy is the reason why. That’s actually not that hard to understand. By making the winners go public, the lottery is protecting the integrity of the game, as well as protecting itself against fraud allegations.
What’s more, state lotteries are financed by the public funds, and their profits benefit public programs, which is why one of the arguments regarding why lottery winners should go public, is that it is the public’s right to know who won.
Another thing is that it helps with marketing. Making the winners go public serves the same purpose as putting up winner’s pictures on casino’s walls – it creates a perception that everyone can become a winner.
Why would winners want to remain anonymous?
The next question that you’d probably want to know the answer to is why lottery winners would prefer to remain anonymous. Well, perhaps the most important reason is their safety. After all, the internet is full of stories of people who were harmed by others because of the money they won.
Take as an example Craigory Burch Jr, who in November 2015 won almost $500,000 in a Georgia jackpot. Two most forward, and he was killed in his own home by seven masked men. According to the family, the fact that his winning was announced publicly made him a target.
Another example – Abraham Shakespeare. In 2006, he won $30 million in a lottery. Two years later, he was approached by Dorice “Dee Dee” Moore, who claimed to be writing a book about him, and how people take advantage of him. Not so long after, she became his financial advisor and stole all his money. Since she didn’t want her crime to be out in the open, she killed him and buried him under a concrete slab in her backyard.
That’s a big enough reason to remain anonymous after winning, don’t you think?
How can you remain anonymous after winning a lottery?
In 2018, a woman went to court to conceal her identity after winning $560 million. The judge ruled in her favor, claiming that “should Ms. Doe’s identity be revealed, she will be subject to an alarming amount of harassment, solicitation, and other unwanted communications.” This was enough of a reason for her to be able to keep her identity hidden. This is one of the, let’s say, more ‘extreme’ ways of remaining anonymous – thankfully, there are others.
One of them is called ‘blind trust,’ in which the ‘blind’ part refers to the public that does not know the identity of the winner. You need to keep in mind that such cases can be quite complicated, so before you do anything in this direction, it is wise to consult a lawyer that can tell you all about your legal options.
For example, in July 2016, the winning ticket of over $480 million was purchased in New Hampshire, where the winners have to go public. The winner, however, chose to remain anonymous and claimed the prize through the Robin Egg 2016 Nominee Trust, which was facilitated by a local law firm.
Final Thoughts
So – is it possible to remain anonymous after winning a lottery? Yes. Is it possible everywhere? No. Is it easy? You can say so – as long as you know what you should do.
If one day, you will be lucky enough to win in a lottery and choose to remain anonymous, remember that no matter if you decide to take the matter to court, or collect the prize by using the ‘blind trust’ method, you need to get professional legal advice. That way, you can make sure that your privacy will be protected.