Minnesota passes bill to allow lottery winners to remain anonymous

Minnesota will soon allow winners of lottery prizes to remain anonymous when a new law goes into effect in the state later this year.
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Minnesota will be joining a list of states in the US that will allow winners of lottery prizes to remain anonymous when a new law goes into effect in the state later this year.

According to TwinCites Pioneer Press, Governor Tim Walz signed the bill into law last Friday that will allow lottery winners of prizes over $10,000 to keep their names private unless they give written consent to the Minnesota Lottery to release their information.

The bill passed through the state’s Legislature unanimously and will go into effect on September 1. The law also applies to winners of $10,000 or more in second-chance drawings.

The lead sponsors of the bill, Republican Senator Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake, and Democratic Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn of Eden Prairie, said the change was needed to protect the privacy of Powerball, Megamillions and other big winners, who have been targeted by criminals in the past.

The House and Senate each passed the bill unanimously, and the governor signed it Thursday. Minnesota will become one of about a dozen states that allow some lottery winners to remain anonymous.

Back in April, the state of Montana passed a similar bill that will allow winners of its state lottery, the Montana Lottery, to remain anonymous.