Hey fellow lottery player, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind when imagine yourself winning millions and millions of dollars?
I’d like to try and guess if you don’t mind:
The first thing you think about is what you are going to buy. Easy. Next, you think about all of the debts you can pay off, and if the money you pocket will last you for the rest of your life.
And then you inevitably get around to thinking about how to avoid the throngs of people who will hound you for money.
I know from many conversations with many different lottery players, that one of the downsides of winning a lot of money is the reactions of other people. People who you know, or never met before now see you as an opportunity to get free, easy cash.
Relatives, solicitors, scammers, and others ringing your phone, knocking on your door, and ultimately force you into some sort of retreat.
Despite receiving what most people would consider a blessing in millions of dollars, for most winners it would be easier to remain anonymous (at least for the first year or two to give you time to adjust to your newfound fortune).
But do you have that option? Well, a lot of it depends on where you buy your winning ticket from. Moreover, the amount you win could also dictate whether or not your good fortune will be made public.
Some states in this country of ours do actually allow you to remain anonymous if you choose to. Other states mandate that you have to reveal your identity.
Still others allow you to delay the announcement that you are now a millionaire and that endless requests for money can commence. At least you have time to change or identity and hide in the latter case.
So let’s get into which states do and do not require you to identify yourself, and a little about what qualifications you should meet in these cases.
Eleven states allow large jackpot winners to remain anonymous. So if you live in one of these states and you hit big, nobody will have to know you won unless you want them to. These states are:
Arizona
Delaware
Georgia
Kansas
Maryland
New Jersey
North Dakota
Ohio
South Carolina
Texas
Virginia
These names represent states who protect individuals who won the Powerball. You’ll find slight variations on Mega Millions winners depending on the state.
In the state of Illinois, winners may remain anonymous if their total winnings are $250,000 or greater. Winners have to tell the lottery agency that they wish to remain anonymous. Failure to do so will mean the commission will publicly release your name and the amount you won.
In the state of Minnesota, if anyone wins any amount above $10,000, the state deems these winning amounts as private information. In these cases, the winners remain anonymous unless they choose to reveal their identities. This is also true in North Dakota. I’m not sure why you would opt to go public, but everybody is different.
In South Dakota, winners of scratch-off tickets in any amount can remain anonymous. But anything they regard as “online games” which likely includes the big money drawings, winners are made public.
In Florida, if you win the Mega Millions jackpot your identity will be revealed after 90 days. I happen to live in Florida. I think this is fair as it would give me time to put my phone in somebody else’s name, and have my brother buy my new cars and houses for me.
All other states, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands require winners to be made public in order to collect their winnings.
The biggest question about the lottery and its requirements for winners to be made public is, “why do I have to be made public even if I don’t want to?”
The reason is this:
Lawmakers feel that when Joe Nobody wins the lottery, and everybody else sees that Joe Nobody wins the lottery, the rest of the public gets the security that the lottery is being run honestly.
The public can see that the jackpot is being paid to a real person.
There are those in government who feel that the individual should have the right to choose whether or not they want their identities revealed.
Legislation is being written up and argued to have this choice of anonymity granted in states where it doesn’t exist currently. Will it change? Who knows.
But if I had, had, had to let the world know that I just won $500 million, I feel confident that I could adjust to my newfound fame and fortune.