N.J. weighs keeping lottery winners anonymous

Feb 21, 2019, 5:37 pm (15 comments)

New Jersey Lottery

So you've won the lottery and suddenly you find you have a bunch of new relatives. Distant cousins. A long-lost half-sister.

New Jersey lawmakers are looking to protect state lottery winners from potential moochers and scammers by allowing them to remain anonymous.

Only a handful of states permit lottery winners to keep their good fortune private, although some allow winners to put their money into trusts, allowing them some degree of anonymity.

A bill before the state Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation on Thursday (A3616) would allow New Jersey Lottery winners to keep their identities secret forever.

"I think people that win large lottery jackpots become easy targets and may not always have the sophistication to protect themselves at a time when this great attention and wealth falls on them," state Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, a sponsor of the bill, said.

If the spotlight doesn't intimidate you, winners will still be able to opt for the news conference, oversized check and public pomp. It's important that players have the choice, added state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, another sponsor.

"Do I have to tell the world I won? And then you're subject to everyone under the sun coming after you. It's just fair if you want to remain anonymous. You're going to pay the taxes on it. So why do I have to take a picture with somebody holding the big check," he said.

Lawmakers looking at similar legislation in other states talk about the so-called "lottery curse" that befalls some jackpot winners, whether it be bankruptcy or even violence.

New Jerseyan Evelyn Basehore had the rare luck of winning $3.9 million in the state lottery in 1985 and then $1.4 million in 1986. By 2012, she was broke and living in a Brick mobile home park, the New York Post reported.

"Everybody wanted my money," she told the website Bankrate.com in 2004. "Everybody had their hand out. I never learned one simple word in the English language — 'no.'"

Some rare cases have led to murder.

Abraham Shakespeare went won $30 million in the Florida lottery, taking home $17 million, according to news reports. Three years later he went missing and was eventually found buried beneath a concrete slab.

A Florida woman was found guilty in 2012 of first-degree murder after she was accused of befriending, stealing more than $1 million from Shakespeare and then killing him, according to reports.

Burzichelli sponsored similar legislation in 2013. The legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill he sponsored in 2013 to grant winners anonymity for a year — enough time to get their legal and financial affairs in order. But then-Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the legislation, saying it could "undermine the transparency that provides taxpayers confidence in the integrity of the lottery and its games."

"Moreover, the bill could have the unintended consequence of reducing lottery sales by hampering marketing efforts and the public excitement generated when lottery winners are announced," he said at the time.

Burzichelli said publicity shouldn't guide the state's policy.

"If that person wants that spotlight they can elect to have it, but if a person wants their privacy they should be entitled to it," he said.

But anonymity — names and addresses would be exempt from the state's open records laws — doesn't mean complete secrecy. State agencies would be able to share the information internally to collect back child support, public assistance overpayments, delinquent or defaulted student loan payments and other debts, according to the proposed legislation.

NJ

Comments

equiners

I'm from New Jersey and I would be really nervous if everyone knew that I won a substantial amount of money. I think it would be OK to just announce the city and state of the winner without the name of the winner. Maybe even announce the actual store location but again, NOT the real name of the winner.

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Is it better to be a famous rich person or an anonymous rich person?

https://www.quora.com/Is-it-better-to-be-a-famous-rich-person-or-an-anonymous-rich-person

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Excellent link, Raven62.

Every state lottery director should have to read it.

Bleudog101

Perhaps the thought of lottery integrity by plastering names and or photographs needs to be re-examined.  Both DE & MD just to the south of NJ are anonymous.  Has any bad publicity/corruption come out of those states?  In this age of lots of crazies out there it is time for the winner to have a say so.

gy65

"Lawmakers looking at similar legislation in other states"

Arizona HB2552

"Stipulates that upon request of a prizewinner that is paid a lottery prize or winnings of $100,000 or more, the name of the prizewinner is confidential and not a public record."

"Specifies that if confidentiality is not requested, the name of the prizewinner is confidential and not a public record for 90 days from the date the prize is awarded."

Artist77's avatarArtist77

I really think that lawsuit filed by the woman who won the New Hampshire lottery (and signed the ticket by mistake), helped to move the anonymous option forward across other states.

music*'s avatarmusic*

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Feb 21, 2019

I really think that lawsuit filed by the woman who won the New Hampshire lottery (and signed the ticket by mistake), helped to move the anonymous option forward across other states.

I Agree!with you Artist77.  Continuous drops of water fill a bucket to overflowing. Change might be scary but it is necessary.

  I am here in California and have written before about saying, NO to the media availability and NO to the photo celebrity. Others have gone before me and succeeded in this fight. 

 If I lose and am forced to do both events than I will do the five-minute walk of fame. I am considering again the advantages of choosing the Annuity as the prize levels increase to highs that would make that choice workable. After winning the Annuity I expect I will have fewer beggars and hangers-on.Cheers

FireSauce

. Hope this gets passed before i win big!

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by FireSauce on Feb 22, 2019

. Hope this gets passed before i win big!

Firesauce, are you related to Hotsauce?

Bleudog101

Saw on the local news a NJ woman won the NJ lotto...going to let Todd fill in all the details about her.  Another feel good story coming up.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Feb 22, 2019

Firesauce, are you related to Hotsauce?

Green laugh

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Feb 22, 2019

Green laugh

He may have to search the past posts to get what I said. Lol

Great name for a trust also. The Hot Sauce trust.

Cassie8620's avatarCassie8620

Quote: Originally posted by FireSauce on Feb 22, 2019

. Hope this gets passed before i win big!

lol LOLgood 1 firesauce.  o and good luck 1 day on winning there in NJ.

Now,

I  personally feel no 1 should have to be forced to share who they are (or)leave it up to the ownerSmiley of the big jackpot$$$ him or her can choose if they want their name publicized, with a big fat $$$ check in front of the cameras, and or as in other states:

>Age is fine and or age range...

>City,County it was purchased and or won at, so others can continue to have such hope, that feasibly it will happen to them in that specified city, county in N.J

>Must give a 1st or last name(again by choice)of the owner of the big lottery game they just were blessed to win) and or INITIALS and city they reside in, county.

 NJ has a great new (D)Governor i heard who won, against a republican woman so, no more republican( Gov.Christie)hence, it might just happen, with Murphy.

LottoBux's avatarLottoBux

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Feb 22, 2019

Saw on the local news a NJ woman won the NJ lotto...going to let Todd fill in all the details about her.  Another feel good story coming up.

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