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Lottery officials opposing the jackpot anonymity bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The times of the big lottery check presentations may soon come to an end in West Virginia.

Winners of big jackpots would no longer have to make required public appearances to claim those prizes if a bill that’s moving at the State Capitol becomes law.

The West Virginia Lottery is opposing the bill because of what John Myers, acting director of the Lottery, called “an expectation of transparency” among players.

“They want to know that, when we tell them that there’s a grand prize winner, that we actually give that money away and that it’s to somebody that played the game and followed the rules,” he said. “That’s important to our players.”

Public prize claims also help drive sales, according to Myers.

“This really sets this apart as a big game, a big reward and people know that and that’s why, I think, we see the place on that game (Powerball and the like) that we don’t see on some of the others,” he said.

The House bill, now pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, adds a section to the West Virginia Lottery Act.

With it, a Powerball, Mega Millions or Hot Lotto winner could choose to remain anonymous and there would be an allowance for a Freedom of Information Act exemption if a person opts to accept a jackpot prize anonymously to keep it that way.

The winner would be permitted to contact the lottery director at West Virginia Lottery headquarters in Charleston in writing — either via certified mail or e-mail.

At that point, it would then be up to the lottery director to schedule an appointment “at any county, regional or state lottery office to confirm the winning number and to otherwise secure the anonymity of the requesting person.”

The big press events that follow large jackpot prizes currently in West Virginia can help winners maintain more privacy in the long run, argued Myers.

“If we don’t do it all at one time, sometimes they’ll have people knocking on their doors wanting an interview for weeks at a time after they’ve won it. It tends to get it all over, they can get on with their lives,” he said.

Delegate Stephen Skinner (D-Jefferson, 67) is the lead sponsor of HB 4505. The House of Delegates approved it Monday with a 95-3 vote and sent it on to the Senate with the 2016 Regular Session scheduled to close on Saturday, March 12.

Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and South Carolina are the only states that currently allow lottery winners to remain anonymous. There are some disclosure exceptions in other states.





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