"Although the advantage to winners of remaining anonymous is apparent, the disadvantage to players, lotteries and other stakeholders are less obvious, frequently overlooked and of great merit," Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin said. Polzin said during a public hearing Wednesday on a bill that would keep the names of lottery winners private that past lottery fraud attempts were identified because the winners' names were made public.
MADISON - The director of the Wisconsin Lottery suggested Wednesday that keeping the names of lottery winners private could hurt player security and increase lottery fraud.
"Although the advantage to winners of remaining anonymous is apparent, the disadvantage to players, lotteries and other stakeholders are less obvious, frequently overlooked and of great merit," Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin said.
Polzin said during a public hearing Wednesday on a bill that would keep the names of lottery winners private that past lottery fraud attempts were identified because the winners' names were made public.
Lawmakers considering the legislation also on Wednesday signaled skepticism of the measure, which has also drawn criticism from open government advocates.
Assembly Bill 213 would prohibit lottery ticket retailers, the administrator of the state lottery and the Department of Revenue from disclosing the name and personal information of a lottery prize winner who requests confidentiality.
It includes exemptions to privacy, including for winners who are delinquent in paying taxes or have been ordered by a court to pay child support.
Democratic Rep. Tod Ohnstad of Kenosha said by keeping lottery winners' names from public view, distrust of the program's legitimacy could fester.
He noted that people are "often disgruntled about anything relating to government" and decreasing transparency would not help.
"It just seems to me that if people didn’t know who was winning, I think it does raise a certain level (of concern) in some people’s minds of whether or not the lottery is something that can be trusted," he said.
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester introduced the bill in May, a month after 24-year-old Manuel Franco claimed a historic $768.4 million Powerball jackpot.
Vos said the bill would provide winners with the “option to protect themselves from unwanted fraud, abuse or harassment," adding that Franco has been subject to months of harassment that have forced him to go "off the grid."
Franco's attorney Andrew Stoltmann in a letter to the committee encouraged the Legislature to support the bill. He said disclosing winners' names to the public "places a massive target" on their backs.
"This policy also subjects them to near constant harassment by financial advisers and scammers who simply want to take their money," Stoltmann said.
But Polzin said that while lottery winners may be concerned that they could be targeted by neighbors and family members, the Wisconsin Lottery has "not heard of any instances where winners were harassed or threatened."
She added that although there is no requirement to have a winner's picture taken or have a press conference no matter how big the winnings, Franco requested to have a press conference.
"It is very rare," she said. "I was as shocked as anybody could be that he wanted to have one. Even before we knew who he was, he wanted to have a press conference."
Republican Rep. Gary Tauchen, who is sponsoring the legislation, noted Wednesday that a handful of other states allow winners to remain anonymous.
Only a handful of states offer lottery winners total anonymity. Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia all offer anonymity only when a certain amount of money is won.