Can You Stay Anonymous If You Win the Lottery? Here’s Which States Allow It, Those That Don’t and Some with Unique Rules

need to know

• Some states allow lottery winners to remain anonymous, while others do not

• Some states have regulations for lottery winners who want to be discreet, and some don’t even have their own lotteries to play.

• The largest lottery prize ever was a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won by a California man in November 2022

Winning the lottery can be a life-changing experience – but what happens when players don’t want people to know they’ve won?

States across the country offer different options for winners who wish to keep their identities private, with some allowing them to remain anonymous and others not.

Some states have regulations for winners who wish to err on the side of caution, and some states don’t even have their own lotteries to play.

So, if you win the lottery, can you remain anonymous? Read on to find out.

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Which states allow lottery winners to remain anonymous?

Some states allow lottery winners to remain anonymous regardless of their income. They are Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming.

Others allow lottery winners to remain anonymous as long as their earnings are above a certain amount. These states include Arizona (bonuses over $100,000), Arkansas (bonuses over $500,000), Georgia (bonuses over $250,000), Illinois (bonuses over $250,000), Minnesota (bonuses over $10,000), Nebraska (bonuses over $250,000), Texas (bonuses over $1 million), and Virginia (bonuses over $1 million). $10 million) and West Virginia (more than $1 million in bonuses).

Which states do not allow lottery winners to remain anonymous?

Many states do not allow lottery winners to remain anonymous after winning. They are California, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.

However, some of these states allow lottery winners to set up a trust or LLC to receive their winnings anonymously, according to the World Population Review. They are Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Washington.

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Which states have additional rules that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous?

Some states have specific rules about remaining anonymous when claiming your lottery winnings.

In Colorado, lottery winners’ first and last initials are posted on the Colorado Lottery website, along with their hometown, prizes won and games played.

Florida Lottery winners may claim any winnings anonymously in the name of the trust, but the name of the trustee or his or her attorney will be publicly released. Winners of prizes exceeding $250,000 are protected in that their information will be kept confidential for 90 days after winning.

In Michigan, only winners of more than $10,000 in state-run contests can remain anonymous.

Which states don’t have lotteries?

There are some states across the country where there is no lottery to play.

They are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

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