Texas Lottery Winners Could Stay Anonymous
AUSTIN (AP) — Texas lawmakers have voted to allow big state lottery winners to remain anonymous.
The Senate approved the measure Wednesday night and sent it to Gov. Greg Abbott for his consideration.
The bill allows individuals who win prizes of at least $1 million to choose to remain anonymous and prohibit the release of all personal information to the public. It's designed to protect lottery winners from unwanted attention, predatory acts and media scrutiny while still sharing information with authorities for tax purposes or other reasons, such as child support.
Opponents say it reduces state lottery transparency, leading to more skepticism about the process and possibly hurting ticket sales.
At least six other states have similar privacy laws.
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