Can you stay anonymous if you win the Texas Lottery?

In May, someone in South Texas got $78 million richer when they claimed one of the largest Texas Lottery jackpots in state history just days before the winning ticket was set to expire. But inquiring minds will never know who that lucky lotto player was because they claimed their winnings through a trust company that had been established in South Dakota, where the identities of trust beneficiaries are allowed to remain secret forever thanks to ironclad state privacy laws.

But would you really need to jump through so many hoops in order to keep your identity secret if you won a big Texas Lotto jackpot? Or is there a way you can keep your lottery win anonymous in Texas? MySA took a look and learned that the answer to that question depends on a few factors, like how big the jackpot is and how you choose to collect your winnings.

The short answer is you can remain anonymous if you win the lottery in Texas only under certain circumstances. In 2017, the Texas Legislature passed a law called House Bill 59 that allowed for certain lottery winners to remain anonymous if their winning ticket is worth $1 million or more. Smaller prize amounts are not eligible.

“A person who is a prize winner of a lottery prize in an amount equal to $1 million or more… may on the date the winner claims the prize choose to remain anonymous and prohibit all personally identifiable information from being released to the public,” the statute reads.

But that anonymity is not automatic. Instead, it’s an opt-in process, and how you choose to collect your winnings can affect whether or not your identity stays shielded. The Texas Lottery Commission maintains a frequently asked questions page that helps guide lottery winners through the process. The bottom line is winners must “specify their choice” for anonymity when filling out their claim form. And they must also select the lump sum payment option.

Those who choose to receive their winnings in installments should keep in mind that the Texas Lottery is subject to the Texas Public Information Act, meaning an average citizen can request information on previous jackpot winners. Under that law, only certain personally identifiable information, like driver’s licenses or Social Security numbers, are exempt from disclosure.

Don’t take too long to decide how you want to claim your winnings. That’s because winning tickets from games like Lotto Texas, Mega Millions and Powerball are only valid for 180 days after a drawing. And scratch-off tickets are good for 180 days “from the close date of the game.”

“‘Personally identifiable information’ does not include the name of the prize winner’s city or county of residence,” the law says.