Oregon’s New Bill Aims to Protect Lottery Winners’ Identities from Public Scrutiny

Oregon's New Bill Aims to Protect Lottery Winners’ Identities from Public Scrutiny

For the purpose of protecting the identities of lottery prize winners, the Oregon House of Representatives has proposed an addition to House Bill 3115. The proposal seeks to ensure that the names and addresses of lottery winners remain secret until the winners grant written agreement for dissemination.

The selling of winning lottery tickets is a practice that can aid tax evasion and hinder the state’s capacity to collect obligations such as child support.

This legislative measure is part of a larger attempt to address issues related to the resale of lottery tickets.

The measure, which passed out of the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection with a 9-to-1 vote, prohibits the selling, purchasing, or claiming of a winning lottery ticket for compensation if the Oregon State Lottery Commission requires winners to claim the prize at the state office instead of a lottery game retailer.

The lone member of Congress to vote against the bill was Representative Jamie Cate, who represents the 11th Region.

When a lottery ticket that was purchased on or after January 1, 2026, in violation of this legislation, is recognized as a deduction for federal tax reasons, the purchase price of the lottery ticket will be added to the federal taxable income for the purposes of Oregon personal income and business excise tax.

The addition, which was added at a work session with minimal discussion or debate, stipulates that the name and address of a prize recipient must be kept secret from the general public until written authorization is provided.

The measure will become effective on the 91st day after the meeting has been adjourned sine die, which is the day when the meeting is dismissed.

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According to officials, the revelation of the identities of lottery winners is a step that builds faith in the lottery system.

At the moment, Oregon is one of the 22 states that mandates the disclosure of lottery winners’ names. In spite of this, 21 states, including those that provide Mega Millions and Powerball, permit winners to remain anonymous.

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Some jurisdictions even impose a prize threshold for anonymity, but the majority of states allow winners to stay anonymous.

The purpose of the law, which was initially proposed by Representative John Lively (D-11) and Representative Kim Wallan (R-06), is to make it illegal to resell huge lottery prizes and to ban persons from claiming winnings on behalf of other people in order to receive compensation.

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The idea of concealing the identity of lottery winners is not a novel one; in 2019, a law that was quite similar to this one was unsuccessful in passing the Oregon Senate.

The third reading of House Bill 3115, which is the bill’s final recital before the vote, is scheduled to take place on Monday, March 17, and the bill will continue to stay in the House for approval.

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