# Laws permitting lottery winners to remain anonymous **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 23, 2016, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945 "2016-01-23T05:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/21 "2016-01-25T07:44:40Z")
There is plenty of ways a smart lotto winner can protect themselves both financially and physically even if their name is revealed. But if someones dumb with money no law is going to protect them from themselves. You can’t legislate against stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/22 "2016-01-25T08:21:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > In most of those cases, though, the killer was a family member or an acquaintance - not some rando who tracked down the person because they’d heard their name on the news. Unless you plan on cutting yourself off from your family and pretending to be middle-class to everyone you know for the rest of your life, claiming the jackpot anonymously isn’t going to protect you from that. Most of the (legit sounding) advice I read in the numerous articles leading up the recent huge Power Ball recommended not telling anyone, including family. It would be very easy for me to never tell anyone. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/23 "2016-01-25T08:40:55Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Most of the (legit sounding) advice I read in the numerous articles leading up the recent huge Power Ball recommended not telling anyone, including family. It would be very easy for me to never tell anyone. I think its fine to tell people AFTER you’ve engaged a law fim, hired security, a financial adviser who specialises in high net worth individuals, a personal assistant and moved into either a gated community or a penthouse with concierge / security. There are plenty of rich people who are famous and survive quite well. They don’t get constantly pestered by people for money because they hire staff whose job is to deflect any such requests and firmly shut them down. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/24 "2016-01-25T12:40:44Z")
The people selling the tickets have the right to dictate that, if you win we get to use your photo and name, (possibly at least once), I should think. It’s their lottery, after all. And if it’s clearly stated on the ticket I don’t see how you get to complain about it. Don’t like it? Don’t buy a ticket. Go bet the ponies. I’m not seeing this as the government or state’s business in any way, shape or form. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/25 "2016-01-25T13:23:15Z")
I think in the interest of the safety of the winners, they should allow them to remain anonymous. I’m afraid what it will take is some big winner having a family member kidnapped and later murdered for this to happen. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/26 "2016-01-25T13:45:08Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think in the interest of the safety of the winners, they should allow them to remain anonymous. I’m afraid what it will take is some big winner having a family member kidnapped and later murdered for this to happen. A more sensible reaction would be for the lotto organisation to offer advice to the winners on security and wealth management. If the winner chooses to disregard the advice then like I said, you can’t legislate against stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/27 "2016-01-25T13:53:38Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > A more sensible reaction would be for the lotto organisation to offer advice to the winners on security and wealth management. If the winner chooses to disregard the advice then like I said, you can’t legislate against stupidity. So every victim of kidnapping is stupid? The president’s family doesn’t get victimized because they have Secret Service details. Big lottery winners may be rich, but they can’t afford what it would cost to make sure that a kidnapping doesn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/28 "2016-01-25T14:07:15Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > So every victim of kidnapping is stupid? The president’s family doesn’t get victimized because they have Secret Service details. Big lottery winners may be rich, but they can’t afford what it would cost to make sure that a kidnapping doesn’t happen. You can seriously reduce the chances. How many children of celebrities get kidnapped? everyone knows they are rich? Hint, almost none, because they hire security and live in good neighbourhoods. Anyone who earns a lotto prize higher than $10 million can afford that easily. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/29 "2016-01-25T14:11:50Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > You can seriously reduce the chances. How many children of celebrities get kidnapped? everyone knows they are rich? Hint, almost none, because they hire security and live in good neighbourhoods. Anyone who earns a lotto prize higher than $10 million can afford that easily. Or we can let them stay anonymous and let them decide how they spend their money. It’s called freedom. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/30 "2016-01-25T14:35:58Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think in the interest of the safety of the winners, they should allow them to remain anonymous. I’m afraid what it will take is some big winner having a family member kidnapped and later murdered for this to happen. The lottery has being going on in some form for decades with thousands of big winners. How often has this occurred? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/31 "2016-01-25T14:51:03Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > The lottery has being going on in some form for decades with thousands of big winners. How often has this occurred? I don’t know if it has but why put the winners in the public eye if they don’t want to be? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/32 "2016-01-25T15:04:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I don’t know if it has but why put the winners in the public eye if they don’t want to be? Because those are the rules they agree to follow when they buy a ticket. Why have those rules? It prevents the perception of fraud and is good for marketing. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/33 "2016-01-25T16:27:29Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Here in Peru someone has to pick up the money, check or whatever. However, for any amount that even a little bit interesting what 99% do is to have a representative from the bank where you’re having your money deposited go to the Lottery’s office, have the picture taken with the giant check, and everything. I believe Texas has a rule that says that you must claim the prize in person, but they don’t really define “you”. So what the smarter winners have done is claim that the lottery was won by some sort of anonymous trust, and then have the lawyers that sets up the trust claim the prize in the trust’s name. Meanwhile, the _actual_ winners maintain full control over all the money via the mechanism of having full control of the trust. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/34 "2016-01-25T18:41:38Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I believe Texas has a rule that says that you must claim the prize in person, but they don’t really define “you”. So what the smarter winners have done is claim that the lottery was won by some sort of anonymous trust, and then have the lawyers that sets up the trust claim the prize in the trust’s name. Yes exactly, there are already plenty of ways that smart winners can protect themselves, and no law will effectively protect dumb winners. They might be able to claim their prize anonymously but if they immediately buy a Ferrari and go to a strip club with $ 50,000 cash then people are going to figure it out pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/35 "2016-01-25T21:14:23Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I don’t know if it has but why put the winners in the public eye if they don’t want to be? Very few people want to be in the public eye. Some become successful and end up there anyway. Should people like Donald Trump and Bill Gates receive government assistance in staying anonymous, too? After all, why put them in the public eye if they don’t want to be? The freedom of the press is more important than a penny-wise-pound-foolish lottery winner who doesn’t feel like paying for security. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/36 "2016-01-27T00:20:47Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Come play the lottery over here (UK) if you want to be an anonymous winner. We also have the sensibility to tax the ticket, not the winnings. Tax is tax. What difference does it make where it’s taxed. The amount the winner gets to keep is about the same, > [@Quartz](#): > > … And technically it’s a duty not a tax. … More government double-speak. It’s a tax. What’s more, it’s a tax on the mathematically inept. (Over here in the U.S., the “C” in “F.I.C.A.” stands for “Contribution”, but it’s still a tax). But on topic: Since I’m so critical of government, I really have doubts that 100% of those anonymous winners really were lottery purchasers. So if you don’t want your name published, don’t buy a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/37 "2016-01-27T01:04:12Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > If somebody who owes me a lot of money wins a lottery, I think I’d like to know about it. If my soon-to-be ex-wife\* were to win Powerball, it would certainly influence the divorce proceedings. How common are kidnappings and death threats in conjunction with lotteries anyway? The big concerns are deadbeat pals and relatives, and no secrecy rule on earth will protect you from them! > > * * * > > \*I don’t actually have a soon-to-be-ex-wife. Probably one of the most notorious cases in Australia was the [Graeme Thorne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Thorne_kidnapping)Kidnapping. Quick summary. Couple win lottery - come home one day - 8 year old son has been kidnapped. You can guess the rest. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/38 "2016-01-28T21:27:25Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Come play the lottery over here (UK) if you want to be an anonymous winner. We also have the sensibility to tax the ticket, not the winnings. “Sense” and “Sensibliity” are not synonyms. It would probably make a good book title though… ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/39 "2016-01-29T02:04:05Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > Probably one of the most notorious cases in Australia was the [Graeme Thorne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Thorne_kidnapping)Kidnapping. It happened in 1960. Not exactly relevant to a situation nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945/40 "2016-01-29T02:14:16Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The tax paid on the ticket is not VAT but a separate 12%. And technically it’s a duty not a tax. “Duty” is a subset of “tax”. Besides, they don’t go for duties in the US. That’s pretty much why the country exists, now that I think of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-permitting-lottery-winners-to-remain-anonymous/743945.md?page=3)