Millionaire for Life - Staying Anonymous
Although some people are happy to go public with their lottery wins, not everyone wants all their neighbors to know they're minted for life! Each state has different rules on whether big lottery winners can remain anonymous, and you can use the map below to check these rules for the state where you purchased your ticket.
The map/table below lists all participating states, and explains if and how winners can retain their anonymity in the case of a big win.
| State | Can winners stay anonymous? |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | Yes, if they win more than $500,000 |
| Colorado | No (first name and last initial are published) |
| Connecticut | No |
| District of Columbia | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| Georgia | Yes, for prizes of at least $250,000 |
| Idaho | No |
| Indiana | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| Iowa | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| Kansas | Yes |
| Kentucky | No |
| Maine | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| Massachusetts | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| Michigan | Winners can form a lottery club to stay private |
| Mississippi | Yes |
| Montana | Yes |
| Nebraska | Winners can form a lottery club to stay private |
| New Hampshire | Winners can form a lottery club to stay private |
| New Jersey | Yes |
| New York | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| North Carolina | No |
| North Dakota | Yes |
| Ohio | Yes |
| Oklahoma | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| Pennsylvania | No |
| Rhode Island | No. Information can be released on request |
| South Dakota | No |
| Tennessee | No |
| Vermont | Winners can claim through a legal trust to stay private |
| Virginia | Yes, for prizes of at least $1 million |
| West Virginia | Yes, for prizes of at least $1 million |
| Wyoming | Yes |
Please select a state to see the details:
If you'd prefer to avoid the spotlight as a big winner and carry on with life in a semi-normal way, staying anonymous is the way to go. You can relax, knowing that only you, maybe your family, and some lottery officials are the only people who know about your fortune.
However, many state lotteries have regulations in place that prevent winners from going unnamed. This is usually done to promote trust in the institution of the lottery, by showing players that regular people really can win. This is also good marketing and promotional material for the state lottery too, which is also an incentive for them to limit anonymity. This helps to sell more tickets, raising more money for good causes.
Some of the participating Millionaire for Life states allow anonymity, while in other locations you are compelled to go public. It is a bit of a ZIP code lottery as to where you live and where you bought your ticket. In other states, the lottery must release some information about its big winners, but it is possible to stay anonymous by claiming through a legal trust.