Winning the lottery is everyone’s dream. Would you quit your job? Buy a big house? Donate it to charity? Or all of the above? The answers to those questions have been public knowledge in multi-state lotteries like Powerball, which currently has a $90 million payout.
Winners have their name, city of residence, date of winning, and amount of winning made public under current rules. However, State Representative Padma Kuppa, a Democrat from Troy, wants to give winners the option to remain anonymous for their own protection. She introduced a bill to the Michigan House of Representatives last week where winners would only have their names released if they consent in writing.
Lottery winners often have little experience in handling such large sums of money and can fall prey to people trying to get their hands on the winnings. This bill is intended to protect those winners by letting them decide when to share their good news, if ever. Other states have similar legislation. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Regulatory Reform for further consideration.
