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2 Responses to “How do people know if you’ve won the lottery?”
I don’t think it is legal to turn in a winning ticket anonymously because it must be proven that the winner did not somehow cheat as a result of close ties to a lottery employee. I’ve heard of winners setting up a trust to claim the prize, though I’ve heard that the identities of the individuals associated with the trust can be obtained through public records. Whether or not you have the right to ask the lottery not to release your name or photograph to the press after it is obtained probably varies from game to game and state to state. Publishing a photo of a little old lady and her cat holding a giant check is good for the game because it creates interest, increases ticket sales, people like reading about other people going from rags to riches over night, so I can see why the lottery likes releasing the names of winners and why the papers like publishing them. Publishing the identities of winners also eliminates suspicion among the public. People like knowing that the money actually goes to winners and not right into the bank account of lottery executives, though I disagree with this argument because the lottery could just as easily satisfy the public by coming up with a name, real person or not, and give it to the papers, though there would have to be enough evidence of the person’s existence for this practice to work.
All in all I guess it’s best to talk to a lawyer and set up a trust if you win the lottery, not talk to the press, only tell the family and friends you trust, and hope that no scammers/beggars decide to investigate thoroughly enough to discover your identity.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I’m pretty sure if you don’t tell anyone no one can know…so as long as you keep tight lipped there should be no requests for cash.
June 18th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
I don’t think it is legal to turn in a winning ticket anonymously because it must be proven that the winner did not somehow cheat as a result of close ties to a lottery employee. I’ve heard of winners setting up a trust to claim the prize, though I’ve heard that the identities of the individuals associated with the trust can be obtained through public records. Whether or not you have the right to ask the lottery not to release your name or photograph to the press after it is obtained probably varies from game to game and state to state. Publishing a photo of a little old lady and her cat holding a giant check is good for the game because it creates interest, increases ticket sales, people like reading about other people going from rags to riches over night, so I can see why the lottery likes releasing the names of winners and why the papers like publishing them. Publishing the identities of winners also eliminates suspicion among the public. People like knowing that the money actually goes to winners and not right into the bank account of lottery executives, though I disagree with this argument because the lottery could just as easily satisfy the public by coming up with a name, real person or not, and give it to the papers, though there would have to be enough evidence of the person’s existence for this practice to work.
All in all I guess it’s best to talk to a lawyer and set up a trust if you win the lottery, not talk to the press, only tell the family and friends you trust, and hope that no scammers/beggars decide to investigate thoroughly enough to discover your identity.