A new rule granting anonymity to Oregon Lottery winners has taken effect, having been approved by the state legislature earlier in the year.
House Bill 3115 was first proposed to the state legislature in January and began progressing through the House during the spring, ultimately being approved by 52 Representatives with only one against and seven abstaining.
It was then approved by the Senate with 23 in favour, five opposed and one abstaining, and was signed into law by the state Governor, Tina Kotek, in May. In July the Oregon Lottery Commission proposed rule changes to accommodate the legislature’s wishes, and this was approved in September.
Oregon is now one of only a few states to grant anonymity to lottery winners. Other states have looked to introducing similar measures, though with some added caveats that Oregon’s legislation lacks.
Virginia passed a law in March which granted anonymity to those who win more than $1m in prizes, with the limit having previously been set at $10m, for example. Other states like Michigan have looked at granting anonymity to those who win cross-state draws like Powerball.
In Oregon, the move seems to have gained board support, as seen by the Senators and Representatives’ votes. The main motivation behind the votes seems to be a desire to protect lottery winners’ privacy and prevent them from being subjected to abuse, harassment or scam attempts.
Not everyone seems to have been on board, however. The Oregon Lottery stated that it received 10 written comments opposed to the rule changes against two in favour, and has released a statement in response.
“We appreciate that the change to the law is disruptive to people and businesses who buy winning tickets as a business and to players who sell their tickets as a convenient way to claim their prize.
“That said, Lottery needs to comply with the law, which prohibits the purchase and sale of winning tickets, and we think the rules are consistent with HB 3115 and the legislative intent.
“We agree with commenters who said Lottery needs to provide more convenient ways to claim prizes. Work is currently underway to provide a digital claims and payment option, which should help those players who are unable to travel to a Lottery payment center and who do not want to claim by mail.”
Lotteries no stranger to legislatures
The US has seen a range of legislative debates over lotteries over the past year, with the discussion around anonymity in states like Oregon, Virginia and Michigan just the tip of the iceberg.
Texas saw the most drama by far, with the fallout of a 2022 bulk buyout incident and a February 2025 winning ticket purchased via lottery courier leading to a heated legislative debate.
At its peak some legislators were proposing that the Texas Lottery itself be disbanded. Though this ultimately did not go ahead, the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) has been replaced as regulatory of the lottery by the Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Concerns around bulk purchases have now permeated to other states, with states like New York looking at the prospect of banning the practice. Bulk purchase orders have also been criticised by the World Lottery Association (WLA).