Lottery Winners May Remain Anonymous

Legislation that gives Missouri Lottery winners the option to remain anonymous is now on Governor Parson’s desk. The Senate approved Florissant State Representative Jay Mosley’s bill by a 33-0 vote, and the House approved it 149-0. Mosley tells Missourinet that some Lottery winners have been harassed and threatened:

The current practice for the Missouri Lottery is to post the names of prize winners to the lottery website, to announce the winnings. Under Mosley’s bill, the lottery winners could still have their names announced, but it would be the lottery WINNER’S decision. The Missouri Press Association opposes the bill, saying that keeping the names of Lottery winners open promotes transparency.