Legislature Considers Letting Lottery Winners Stay Anonymous

Michigan residents who win multi-state lotteries could remain anonymous under a bill moving through the Legislature.

The state House approved the bill 103-7 Tuesday.

The bill would allow winners of multi-state games such as Mega Millions, Powerball, and Lucky for Life to remain anonymous.

Bill sponsor Rep. Ray Franz says the measure is needed to protect people who win large amounts of money and then are barraged with requests for financial help or face pressure to leave their jobs even if they wish to continue working.

The state lottery bureau testified in opposition to the bill during committee, saying it would harm transparency and could create skepticism about whether someone actually won money, leading to fewer lottery ticket sales.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

-AP