Remaining Anonymous
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (78761)
United States
July 3, 2022 7:07am CST
It's a law that I strongly support. That is, the option of remaining anonymous if someone wins a major lottery jackpot. I understand the lotteries want to have some level of transparency in showing there are actually real people who win these mega jackpots. But at the same time there are too many dark forces out there that more than likely are going to want to get at some of that loot.
Currently there are only a few states that offer the option of remaining anonymous. They would be Illinois, Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Carolina.
The last Powerball jackpot was won in Vermont, so we will know who it was there that won the nearly $400 million.
Because I live in Illinois, I can and would choose to remain anonymous. But I also tend to play in other states since I travel a lot for work. In all of the other states aside from one I travel to I would have to announce myself.
I travel through Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The only state I'd be free to remain anonymous if I won would be Kansas.
I would still want to win regardless. But if I ever do win, I'd prefer to win in a state where I at least have the option to keep it a secret.
If you won a major jackpot in a lottery worth tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars, would you want it to be published or would you prefer that you could remain anonymous when you claim your prize?
16 people like this
17 responses
@porwest (78761)
• United States
3 Jul 22
Yeah, the term "friend" has always been a word I think people use too freely and too loosely. They are few and far between. Even now I tend to keep what's in the bank quite a bit of a secret—not that I am anywhere near this kind of rich, believe me. lol
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (37932)
• Philippines
6 Jul 22
If I were to win the lotto, I would also want to keep my identity a secret. I believe you are correct when you say that many people would truly want a piece of the winnings once they found out you had won. A security risk exists when the true winner is revealed.
The same thing is happening over here, as everyone is giddy at the jackpot reward of 400 million pesos ($8 million, approximately). Even I, who don't buy tickets all that regularly, would try my luck. 
I'm hoping to purchase some so I can test how far my luck will take me.
I'm hoping to purchase some so I can test how far my luck will take me.1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jul 22
Of course I would want to remain anonymous, but unfortunately I live in a state that would publish my name if I won. But isn't there some backdoor loophole where people who win can file for a fictitious name and then claim the prize under that fictitious name? I thought I had read somewhere in the past that this was something some of the winners were doing.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jul 22
@porwest Yeah, you’re right about the LLC. But there’s got to be a way to somehow remain anonymous. I wonder if you could appoint a Power of Attorney and somehow put their name on the LLC? Like you said, all above our pay grade. Unless we win the lottery of course. Then it becomes well within our pay grade! Lol
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
8 Jul 22
@moffittjc It is certainly a problem I would be interested in getting to the bottom of. lol
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
7 Jul 22
Some states, and maybe all of them, will allow you to register as an LLC and claim your winnings that way. Then the only thing that gets published is your LLC. But I am not sure how that works. Way beyond my pay grade.
At the same time, you'd of course be a principal of the LLC and that information may be public anyway.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (13275)
• Hong Kong
3 Jul 22
I certainly prefer to remain anonymous. Don't want to become a target of kidnapping.
2 people like this
@DevMrSamEleazar (13701)
• Philippines
3 Jul 22
I can agree with that. as if the winner get's announced. he/she might get in very danger
1 person likes this
@DevMrSamEleazar (13701)
• Philippines
3 Jul 22
@porwest Yea and people will try to beg and make a lie for it. and some will go commit crimes for it.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
4 Jul 22
@DevMrSamEleazar Yeah, and I'd definitely rather avoid all that garbage. lol
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
3 Jul 22
I agree 100% with the wish to remain anonymous.
NC isn't one of the states providing anonymity. If I were to win, I'd have to play first, which I haven't done in years, but if I were to win, I'd wait until I'd arranged to disappear from home, acquired a burner phone or three, set up accounts with several different banks to distribute the money to, and hired an attorney before collecting my winnings.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40425)
• United States
3 Jul 22
We would absolutely remain anonymous, but sounds like that's not possible in NC.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40425)
• United States
4 Jul 22
@porwest Dale buys scratch offs here and in SC when we visit our daughter. He seldom buys lottery tickets. So that's one more chance for the winner to be you!
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
4 Jul 22
@1creekgirl I don't mess around with those small beans. If I win something I want it to be life changing. My wife does play the scratch offs though. lol
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43059)
• Staten Island, New York
4 Jul 22
Can it be published without disclosing the actual name of the winner? At least using an alias or something.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43059)
• Staten Island, New York
5 Jul 22
@porwest That can cause trouble for some.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43059)
• Staten Island, New York
6 Jul 22
@porwest rich people can easily and quickly become broke that is for sure.
@aninditasen (15719)
• Raurkela, India
3 Jul 22
I haven't invested in lottery in my country for I don't believe in them.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155562)
• United States
3 Jul 22
I would want to be anonymous -- 150%.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (155562)
• United States
5 Jul 22
@porwest Wouldn't that be something if we both won? You could retire immediately!
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
6 Jul 22
@LindaOHio I am onboard with this idea. lol
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
9 Jul 22
I agree with you. I wouldn't want anyone to know my name. I'm always surprised at how many people go and pick up their big check on TV, and now everyone knows who has a lot of money.
1 person likes this
@merrybelle2021 (1389)
• Philippines
4 Jul 22
I want to be an anonymous winner so I can give/help anonymously, too.
@sica98 (2441)
• Malaysia
3 Jul 22
I prefer to claim by being anonymous,we all know what is the likely scenario if it were to be published.
@celticeagle (158727)
• Boise, Idaho
3 Jul 22
I would want to remain anonymous too but i live in Idaho. I bet I would be hearing from some people I had not heard from in many years.
@much2say (53926)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Jul 22
I'd want to remain anonymous for sure. In case I couldn't, I'd want to stash it where it couldn't be touched by anyone, if that were even possible. I can think of a few people who just might appear all of a sudden . . . I'd have to make it perfectly clear that I am not a bank 
.
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@oahuwriter (26780)
• United States
4 Jul 22
Hmm, I figure, no one will remember, you after, that first, news report... some won big in Vegas from Hawaii, they are on local news, I certainly don't remember them nor what they won today, so, I'll opt for that one time news report that I have won, and that's all.
