Money: Why New York doesn’t allow anonymous lottery winners (and HOW to stay secret)

playahaitian

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Lottery winners are money in the bank for the states that run the games.

The policy of requiring lottery winners to be identified before getting their checks is due to two major factors: transparency, so the public knows who’s taking home millions of public dollars, and as a valuable public relations tool, experts said.

“If someone hits for a half-billion dollars, it’s a great way to make the public aware these opportunities are out there,” said John Cirillo, publicist for Empire City Casino in Yonkers. “It’s lots of PR and free advertising. And you want to stage it to the maximum, ultimate possibilities.”

Only a handful of states, such as Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina, allow winners to remain anonymous.

A New Hampshire judge ruled in March that a Powerball winner has the right to remain Jane Doe. But the majority of states require winners to be identified.

“For transparency, people need to know it’s not shady,” said Alex Traverso, former assistant deputy director of the California Lottery. “It’s not set up that you have an algorithm or know someone working within the state to win.”

When people win big at Empire City, Cirillo says, the casino asks the gamblers’ permission to be identified.

They have a similar quandary to the lottery, in which a desire for PR is weighed against privacy. “When someone has such an exciting moment in their life, you usually want to share it with the world,” he said. “But it’s a case-by-case situation.

“Some people are concerned that all their long-lost relatives will emerge from the back streets looking to get a piece of the pie,” Cirillo said.

Cirillo asks all the big winners for permission to be named — and it’s about a 50-50 call.

https://nypost.com/2018/05/17/why-new-york-doesnt-allow-anonymous-lottery-winners/
 
$560 Million Lottery Winner Can Remain Anonymous: Why Is This Even An Issue In 2018?
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Reeds Ferry Market owner Sam Safa, left, talking with employee Kathy Robinson at the store in Merrimack, NH, where a winning ticket in a $560 million Powerball jackpot was sold on Jan. 8. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

A New Hampshire judge has ruled that the mystery winner of the $560 million Powerball jackpot can remain anonymous, finding that the woman’s right to privacy outweighs the public's interest in knowing her identity.

Jane Doe, as she’s identified in court documents, filled in the back of the winning ticket with her name, address, phone number and signature, only to realize later that by doing so, she was forfeiting her anonymity under the state’s Right-to-Know law, which allows citizens to request public records.

If Doe wanted to remain anonymous, her attorney later advised, she should have created a trust with a non-identifying name, designated herself as a beneficiary and had her attorney pick up the lottery check as trustee.





As it turned out, this was information that would have been useful to Doe before she signed the ticket, because lottery officials told her that if she attempted to white out her information—even by her lawyer in the presence of lottery officials—the ticket would be invalid.

And so began the court battle.


It isn't difficult to imagine why Doe would want her information to remain private. In today’s internet age, we are all incredibly easy to locate, and if people have nefarious reasons for doing so, we're also in danger. Unfortunately, past lottery winners' experiences are Exhibit A.

Take, for example, the tragic fate of Urooj Khan, who was found dead of a cyanide-induced heart attack in Chicago a day after the check was issued for his $1 million scratch-off win; his murder remains unsolved. Or Craigory Burch, who was killed during a home invasion in Georgia after winning $430,000 in the state lottery. Or Andrew “Jack” Whittaker of West Virginia: After he won $315 million in 2002, thieves stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his car (twice) and also drained his bank account.

Doe's complaint detailed several similarly harrowing stories, leading Judge Charles S. Temple to write, "Although the Commission dismisses this harassment as trivial and/or speculative, for the Court to do so would require it to ignore the significant media attention this case has received, the numerous documented bad experiences of other lottery winners, as well as the bevy of unsolicited emails, phone calls and in-person visits already directed at Ms. Doe through her attorneys."

In granting Doe's request for an injunction to stop the release of her name, Temple concluded that "the Court has no doubts whatsoever that should Ms. Doe’s identity be revealed, she will be subject to an alarming amount of harassment, solicitation and other unwanted communications."

The judge ruled that the name of her town could be released, however, because that information didn't carry the same privacy concerns.

For all you nosy Rosies, it's Merrimack.

The Public’s Right to Know

Why are lottery winners’ names revealed anyway?

In most states, identifying information of lottery winners is available under public records laws, such as New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know law. As Temple wrote, these laws exist so that the government's activities are open to "the sharp eye of public scrutiny." State lotteries are paid from public funds, and their profits benefit public programs such as those for health care and infrastructure; New Hampshire's lottery funds education.

The primary reason to require disclosure of a winner’s name is to protect the integrity and transparency of the process. When lottery winners’ identities are available to the public, the argument goes, citizens can be assured that insiders aren’t cheating in favor of themselves or loved ones — such as when Iowa security chief Eddie Tipton rigged a multistate lottery and got a 25-year prison sentence instead of a $16.5 million jackpot.

In fact, under this rationale, most states do not keep winners' information private. Only a small minority of states, including Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas, permit at least some anonymity of lottery winners.

In defense of making winners’ names public, lottery officials also like to put a face to the name for publicity's sake — read: increased sales, cha-ching! — although that would hardly be a convincing argument when weighed against a winner’s right to privacy.

Finding A Happy Medium

In the end, Doe's case wasn't about whether lottery winners can remain anonymous in New Hampshire; they already can, so long as they create a trust and have the funds released to the trustee. (North Carolina, by the way, doesn't allow this because beneficiaries' names would be public.) The complication here was the potential whiting-out and invalidation of the ticket, i.e., a technicality if ever there was one. The judge's decision is sound because it upholds the state's interest in the transparency of the process while simultaneously keeping Doe's identity secret.

But a case like this shouldn't even have to exist in 2018.

There's no denying that privacy concerns have increased exponentially over the past 20 years. It’s time for lottery rules to catch up with the realities of the modern world. Yes, transparency and openness of the lottery process should always remain a concern, but we need common-sense solutions that balance these interests without lottery winners having to go to court to protect their identities.

Through new legislation, states should reach a happy medium between the public interest and an individual’s privacy. One innovative example came from the late New Jersey State Senator Jim Whelan, who for years pushed for a law that would make winners' information available to the public after a one-year delay to allow publicity to fade and to give winners time to adjust. The bill made it all the way to Governor Chris Christie's desk, but he vetoed it.

Another option for a middle ground could be a specially appointed, independent board that can verify the identity of the winner for transparency’s sake but also keep the winner's private information under wraps.

Whatever the future solution, the moral of the story for the present is this: If you play the lottery, don't bet on having a choice about whether to go public about your newfound good fortune. Know your state law before putting down your money, and if you don't like the law, contact your representatives to change it.
 
How to Stay Anonymous When You Win the Lottery

Leigh Anderson
2/09/18 3:45pm
Filed to: IMPROBABLE FANTASIES
752.9K
25213
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Photo: Mark Ou
We all have fantasies of hitting the lottery, right? The new cars, the boat, the...lawsuits, predators, and bankruptcies? The winning ticket isn’t necessarily the winning ticket for a happy life, which is exactly why the winner of January’s Powerball jackpot of $560 million wants to keep her name out of the public record. But New Hampshire, where the she lives, doesn’t allow winners to claim their winnings anonymously, and so in January she filed a lawsuit in an attempt to protect her identity.


The states have an interest in making lotto winners’ identities public to protect the integrity of the game—see, for example, the Iowa security chief who rigged the $16.5 million lottery (he had been a computer programmer in the state lottery office and evidently did something programmy with the numbers) and then tried to claim it anonymously.




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Only seven states—Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and likely soon Georgia—allow winners to shield their identities. A handful of other states, like California and Wisconsin, entirely forbid winners to remain anonymous, “and then there are the states with gray areas,” says Jason Kurland, an attorney in East Meadow, New York, who has represented jackpot winners in the past. Depending on where you live, you can “form a trust and hide behind that. Your lawyer can be the face of the trust.”

Now this is exactly what Jane Doe, in New Hampshire, did—but she had already signed her lottery ticket in her own name, and lottery officials have refused to let her white out her name and re-sign in the name of the trust.

Most advisors instruct the winner to sign the ticket immediately so the ownership is indisputable—does the New Hampshire case mean that the lucky holder of the winning Powerball ticket shouldn’t sign the back of the ticket? Kurland notes that leaving the ticket unsigned, and risking someone (even your lawyer) stealing it, is a big risk. His solution? “Sign it, but sign it small. Then you can add trustees, or several trustees, and the name of the trust.”


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Once you’ve signed, find a trusts and estates attorney in your state to advise you. This person should also put you in touch with a financial planner—you’re going to owe taxes, and you’ll likely want to consider how best to handle charitable contributions and gifts to family and friends. “Once you set up your team, you can’t go wrong,” says Kurland.

Oh, and mum’s the word. New York City trusts and estates attorney Alison Besunder says, “The bigger problem arises when there is an oral (usually flippant) promise to share the proceeds.” So if you really want to stay anonymous? Keep your mouth shut.

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-stay-anonymous-when-you-win-the-lottery-1822868057
 
Mega Millions jackpot surges to $868 million: Here's how to stay anonymous if you win
The Mega Millions and Powerball have a combined jackpot of over $1 billion. And while the odds of winning are slim, you won't want to take any chances should you hit it big.



Jan. 12, 2016 / 2:00 PM EST / Updated Oct. 17, 2018 / 12:11 PM EDT / Source: TODAY
By Jordi Lippe-McGraw

Someone's Halloween candy sack may soon be getting a sweet stack of cash.

The Mega Millions jackpot is growing once again — it's now up to $868 million, making it the largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time and the second largest lottery prize in U.S. history.



The Powerball jackpot is skyrocketing too. It's at $345 million, meaning that over $1 billion is up for grabs over the next few days.






Mega Millions jackpot surges to record $868 million
OCT. 17, 201800:49
While the odds of winning are frighteningly slim — 1 in 303 million for Tuesday's drawing of the Mega Millions and 1 in 292 million for the Powerball drawing on Wednesday night — you won't want to take any chances should you hit it big.

As many previous winners have learned the hard way, money doesn't buy happiness. In fact, winning the jackpot can create even more problems as people come out of the woodwork seeking a piece of the pie.

That means safeguarding yourself and your windfall should be a top priority if you win the prize. Along with hiring a stellar financial and legal team, and donating to charity, the No. 1 suggestion among experts we talked to is staying anonymous.




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And though most states require the winner to come forward, there are still ways you can minimize your exposure to the public. We talked to several professionals — including lawyers and one of the world's top blackjack players — to get their best tips.

1. BUY YOUR TICKET IN A STATE THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE YOU TO COME FORWARD.
"The best thing a person can do is buy a ticket in one of the six states that don't require you to come forward," Marty King, partner with law firm Gorman & Williams in Maryland, told TODAY. "That means you won't have to go to the press conference with the big oversized check and show your face." Those states are Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina. If you live near one of these states, King recommends crossing the border to buy your ticket because the rules apply depending on where you buy it, not where you live.



Man claims $425M lotto prize, shields face with check
APRIL 2, 201400:25
2. DON'T TELL ANYONE.
This might be one of the hardest things to do, but it's super important. "The single biggest thing necessary to stay anonymous would be to tell no one — and I mean no one — about the win," Josh King, general counsel and consumer protection advocate at online legal services site Avvo, told TODAY. He also recommends that the winner "not meaningfully change anything" about his or her life. "These two things alone will be really, really hard," he said, "but they’re necessary in order to have any chance at maintaining anonymity." This will minimize the chances that family members and friends will come after you when they've found out you won.

3. DELETE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS (AND CHANGE YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND ADDRESS, TOO).
We're in the age where everything is online. So before you claim your prize, make sure you erase as much of your digital footprint as possible. "I would delete every social media account you have and consider changing as much as you can," said Marty King. "Change your phone number and address if you can, too. If you're going to be public, you want to make it as hard as possible for people to find you."

4. WEAR A DISGUISE.
Think of old spy movies when it comes to how you'll dress when you claim your prize — even if you're forced to make a public appearance and talk to the press. "Alter your appearance and dress differently than you usually dress," said Rick "Night Train" Blaine, author of "Blackjack Blueprint: How to Play Like a Pro ... Part Time" and the titleholder of the “World’s Best Blackjack Player” from the 2015 Blackjack Ball tournament. Blaine — a pseudonym from Humphrey Bogart's character in the classic film "Casablanca" — uses several aliases and changes his appearance so casinos can't identify him (see him in disguise here). So if you're a guy, grow out your beard or shave if you have a beard. Wear a hat, sunglasses, baggy clothes or whatever it takes to look different so no one can identify you.


Or depending on your state's rules, take inspiration from the sole winner of a $425 million Powerball prize back in 2014, who chose to cover his face with his giant check. Additionally, if your state allows it, ask to use your first initial instead of your full name on the promotional check.

5. DISCONNECT ALL PHONES.
"Have your friend get you a prepaid phone, purchased with cash, which you can register with any area code," said Blaine. "For example, you buy the phone in New York, you can register it as coming from Nebraska. All you need is to input a Nebraska zip code and you'll be assigned a corresponding area code."

6. GET OUT OF TOWN.
If you really want to ensure you'll remain out of the spotlight and prevent people from hounding you for money, then get out of town or even the country. "It gives you a chance to settle yourself and lets the publicity die down," Erica Sandberg, personal finance expert and author of "Expecting Money: the Essential Financial Plan for New and Growing Families," told us.

7. SET UP AN LLC OR TRUST.
While it might be impossible to use an LLC to claim the actual prize, once you move to a new place you can buy your home and all of your assets under one to prevent people from tracking you. "Set up an LLC or trust in order to build anonymity," said Josh King. "The structure you need here will be determined by the law of the state the winner resides in. You’ll need to work with a very experienced, very discreet attorney to do this in a way that it can’t be figured out by a determined investigator." Marty King agrees, saying, "You're probably going to buy a new home anyway, so don't buy it under your name. Using an LLC makes it harder for people to find your new address. Use trusts to hide the identity of any assets. You can hide your new existence."

8. DON'T MAKE ANY BIG PURCHASES FOR A YEAR.
It may be tempting to treat yourself to a number of shiny new toys, but those purchases also draw attention to the fact that you have money to spend. It's best to maintain the appearance of your normal life, while quietly working with your money management team. "Have a trusted friend rent a modest place in a remote location under his/her name," said Blaine. "A place where there are no neighbors."

https://www.today.com/money/mega-millions-jackpot-hits-868-million-here-s-how-stay-t66461
 
Right now only seven states allow lottery winners to maintain their anonymity: Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Texas, Ohio and South Carolina. And six states also allow people to form a trust to claim prize money anonymously. California entirely forbids lottery winners to remain anonymous.​
 
DirtyCake said:
Worth it? :lol: NONE OF YOU NIGGAS IS WINNING THE LOTTERY MAN STOP IT :SMH:
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:roflmao:

doe moe said:
I'm saying it's worth it to see the hustle specifically designed to get low income folks to spend money in hopes of winning.

Most don't know there is a propaganda machine on the law books to over emphasize the lottery and winning under the false pretense of helping schools.
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Ok I might have to check it out now.
 
LSN said:
I heard in some states you can pay to remain anonymous...don’t know how much tho...more than likely an absurd amount is taken out from the winnings
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Only seven states—Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and likely soon Georgia—allow winners to shield their identities.

A handful of other states, like California and Wisconsin, entirely forbid winners to remain anonymous, “and then there are the states with gray areas,” says Jason Kurland, an attorney in East Meadow, New York, who has represented jackpot winners in the past. Depending on where you live, you can “form a trust and hide behind that. Your lawyer can be the face of the trust.”​
 
Picasso said:
We’d find you

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:roflmao2: I'm glad I live in Ohio. We can remain anonymous and that's an amazing thing. I would keep my current house as my Ohio house for whenever I come to the state for personal and business. I would definitely get a house elsewhere, Florida maybe Arizona. Maybe both
 
godofwine said:
:roflmao2: I'm glad I live in Ohio. We can remain anonymous and that's an amazing thing. I would keep my current house as my Ohio house for whenever I come to the state for personal and business. I would definitely get a house elsewhere, Florida maybe Arizona. Maybe both
Click to expand...
Ohio and Missouri are the Floridas of the midwest
 
If you won the lottery, would you choose the annuity for 20 years or the lump sum instantly?
I would create a trust prior to claiming the money and if my state allows,the trust would be the winner. In some circumstances, a trust may protect the money from lawsuits. The more money you have to invest, the more your winnings will earn. A lump sum payment reduces your payout by between 25 to 30 percent. So let's assume you win 100 million, and take a lump sum payment of 70 million. Figure to spend 50% in taxes, and you are left with 35 million. So, take 10% to spend, that’s 3.5 million. Buy a house, clothes, car, whatever. That leaves 31.5 million to invest. At 5% interest that is 1.575 million the first year. Now have the trust pay you an annual annuity of let's say 500K. You reinvest the rest; so added to the original 31.5 million you now have 32.575 million. The next year you’ve earned 5% again, 1.628 million. Again you pay yourself a 500k annuity and reinvest the rest. Now you have $33,703,750. You’re living luxuriously on $500,000 a year and your winnings continue to grow. In 20 years you may have doubled your original investment of 31.5 million.
 
playahaitian said:
If you won the lottery, would you choose the annuity for 20 years or the lump sum instantly?
I would create a trust prior to claiming the money and if my state allows,the trust would be the winner. In some circumstances, a trust may protect the money from lawsuits. The more money you have to invest, the more your winnings will earn. A lump sum payment reduces your payout by between 25 to 30 percent. So let's assume you win 100 million, and take a lump sum payment of 70 million. Figure to spend 50% in taxes, and you are left with 35 million. So, take 10% to spend, that’s 3.5 million. Buy a house, clothes, car, whatever. That leaves 31.5 million to invest. At 5% interest that is 1.575 million the first year. Now have the trust pay you an annual annuity of let's say 500K. You reinvest the rest; so added to the original 31.5 million you now have 32.575 million. The next year you’ve earned 5% again, 1.628 million. Again you pay yourself a 500k annuity and reinvest the rest. Now you have $33,703,750. You’re living luxuriously on $500,000 a year and your winnings continue to grow. In 20 years you may have doubled your original investment of 31.5 million.
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Lump sum is the typical option, but if you have an estate / trust you can leave the annuity payments to them.

However, unless the payout is over $200 mil the 20 year inflation hit may not be worth it in the end for the annuity. You can probably invest in a decent vehicle that pays out 4-6%, and as long as you stay conservative on the spending initially over 20 years you could nearly double the initial lump sum. While living very comfortably
 
I can't remember where, but a winner showed up to collect their check in the Ghostface from Scream costume. So they have to print your name but you don't have to reveal your face.
 
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