A Missouri House committee is considering bill that would allow lottery winners to remain anonymous after claiming their prizes.
Sponsoring Rep. Rochelle Walton Gray, of Black Jack, told the House Local Government Committee today that winning the lottery can subject a person to hardship. Her measure would prevent the Missouri Lottery from releasing the names or addresses of prize winners without their written consent.
Officials from the Missouri Lottery say revealing a winner's identity provides legitimacy to games and helps sell more tickets. The names of lottery winners are also subject to Missouri's Sunshine Law, making identity information available to open records request.
