LANSING — State Rep. Padma Kuppa (D-Troy) introduced House Bill 5261 last week to protect the privacy of multi-state lottery game winners in Michigan by providing the option to remain anonymous if they choose to do so. Currently, personal information like the winner’s name, city of residence, date the prize is won and amount of winnings are public record. 

“When someone wins the lottery, the last thing on their mind should be the consequences of having their personal information released to the public,” said Kuppa. “By offering the option to remain anonymous, we can ensure we’re protecting the privacy of Michiganders and, as much as possible, prevent them from being preyed upon for their winnings.”

Similar legislation has been enacted in other states to allow winners to remain anonymous, including Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina. House Bill 5261 was referred to the House Committee on Regulatory Reform for further consideration.