Politics
Politics

Bill to let Georgia lottery winners remain anonymous heads to governor’s desk

Big lottery winners can choose to remain anonymous if a bill approved by the General Assembly Thursday becomes law.

Credit: AJC.com

Credit: AJC.com

Big lottery winners can choose to remain anonymous if a bill approved by the General Assembly Thursday becomes law.
By
March 30, 2018

Big lottery winners could soon keep their names private after the Georgia Senate approved legislation Thursday.

The measure, Senate Bill 331, would guarantee anonymity for anyone who wins more than $250,000 from the Georgia Lottery upon written request.

The bill's sponsor, Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson, D-Stone Mountain, has said the legislation was necessary to keep lottery winners safe. Winners who go public are sometimes targeted with scams or physical harm.

A man who won $400,000 from the lottery in Fitzgerald, Ga., was killed in 2016.

The House amended the legislation earlier this month. and the Senate agreed to the changes.

The bill now heads to Gov. Nathan Deal’s desk for his consideration.

Stay on top of what’s happening in Georgia government and politics at PoliticallyGeorgia.com.

About the Author

Maya T. Prabhu covers the Georgia Senate and statewide issues as a government reporter for The AJC. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in northern Virginia, Maya attended Spelman College and then the University of Maryland for a master's degree. She writes about social issues, the criminal justice system and legislative politics.

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