Oregon Lottery Winners Could Soon Remain Anonymous With Legislation Likely To Pass

• Gambling News
• 26 April 2025

The Oregon Lottery mandates that all winners permit their identities to be included in the public record. The requirement aims to safeguard the integrity of the lottery and maintain public confidence in its functioning. 

A proposal permitting lottery winners to keep their identities secret continues to gain support in the Oregon Legislature. House Bill 3115 would permit lottery winners to maintain the confidentiality of their details while also banning the purchase and sale of winning lottery tickets. 

Last year's investigations by The Oregonian and Oregon Live! discovered that secondary markets sold millions of dollars in lottery winnings annually. Winners have been discovered to sell their winning tickets at a discount for cash to steer clear of having to pay debts such as overdue child support they owe, which the Oregon Lottery must, by law, deduct from their prize money. 

Other questionable motives for selling winning tickets at a lower price involve tax avoidance, while some claim they’ve sold tickets to maintain their anonymity. 

Lottery Legislation Advances 

HB3115, a bipartisan bill supported by four Democrats and one Republican, swiftly advanced through the House of Representatives last month. The lottery bill was approved by the lower legislative chamber with a vote of 52-1, along with seven members absent.

"“he Act lets lottery winners choose whether to release their name and address,” HB3155 reads. “The name and address of a prize winner are exempt from disclosure under the Oregon Revised Statutes and may not be publicly disclosed by the Oregon State Lottery or the commission unless the prize winner provides written authorization for such disclosure.”

The Senate Labor and Business Committee approved HB3115 at its meeting last week. The lottery legislation is set to be presented for a reading in the full Senate chamber on Monday, April 28. 

The anonymous aspect of HB3115 would permit winners to keep their details private, although the Oregon Lottery could withhold winnings if the winner has any outstanding debts as per state law. 

No ticket purchased from the Oregon Lottery has ever won the Mega Millions jackpot. Oregon lottery participants have claimed the highest Powerball jackpot, notably in 2005 when two families shared a $340 million prize. 

Anonymous Lottery Jurisdictions 

Lottery gambling is permitted in all states except for five. The majority of lottery markets necessitate that winners step forward to demonstrate to the public that the operation is valid and that the selection of winners is random. Nonetheless, 19 states permit lottery winners to stay anonymous. 

States that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous include Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Colorado mandates winners to submit their first name along with the initial of their last name. 

In Florida, individuals who win prizes totaling $250,000 or greater are allowed to remain anonymous. In Michigan, lottery winners who receive more than $10,000 can maintain their anonymity. 

In states where lottery winners are required to reveal their identities, legislation permits them to receive their winnings via a trust, but the trust's name along with its executor and/or administrator must be disclosed in the public records.