The Florida Lottery is one of the most popular lotteries in the United States, with millions of people playing and winning prizes every year. One of the most frequently asked questions about the Florida Lottery is whether winners’ identities are made public. There is often a great deal of curiosity surrounding lottery winners, with people wanting to know who won, where they’re from, and what they plan to do with the money. This article will provide a thorough overview of Florida Lottery winners and publicity, including an examination of Florida state laws, lottery winner data, and winners’ rights.
Florida Lottery Background
The Florida Lottery began in 1988 after Florida voters approved an amendment to establish a government-operated lottery. The Florida Lottery offers several multi-million dollar draw games including POWERBALL®, MEGA MILLIONS®, Florida Lotto, Fantasy 5, and numerous Scratch-Off games. The Lottery has contributed over $39 billion to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) which provides funding for Florida’s public schools and colleges since inception. The Lottery reinvests nearly 99 cents of every dollar back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, contributions to the EETF, commissions to retail partners, and expenditures for goods and services in Florida.
Florida Lottery Prizes and Odds
The Florida Lottery offers prizes ranging from $1 all the way up to multimillion-dollar jackpots. Some of the largest prizes can be won playing the draw games POWERBALL® and MEGA MILLIONS®, which have had jackpots surpass $500 million. The overall odds of winning any Florida Lottery prize are approximately 1 in 4. However, the chances decrease substantially as the prize amounts increase. Some estimated Florida Lottery odds include:
| Prize Amount | Game | Odds |
| $1 Million | Florida Lotto | 1 in 22,957,480 |
| $10 Million | POWERBALL | 1 in 11,688,053.52 |
| $15 Million | Florida Lotto | 1 in 10,739,885 |
| $50 Million | MEGA MILLIONS | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| $590 Million | POWERBALL | 1 in 292,201,338 |
As shown, hitting the biggest jackpots can be incredibly difficult. But with jackpots rolling over week after week without a winner, they can grow to astronomical levels and attract huge interest from players seeking life-changing prizes.
Are Florida Lottery Winners Publicized?
So when someone finally wins those enormous Florida Lottery jackpots, does the public get to find out who they are? The short answer is yes, lottery winners’ identities are made public in Florida. Let’s look at why this is the case.
Florida Lottery Winner Publicity Laws
Florida statutes mandate transparency when it comes to lottery winners in the state. Section 24.105(12), Florida Statutes, states that “The right of any person to a prize is not assignable, except that payment of any prize may be paid to the estate of a deceased prize winner, and except that any person may be paid the prize to which the winner is entitled pursuant to a judicial order.”
This means that for tax and legal purposes, Florida needs to have verified winner information – including identities – on record. Lottery winners must come forward with their real names and other personal information in order to claim their prizes.
Florida Lottery rules also prohibit players from remaining anonymous. Rule 53ER21-8(2)(a) reads:
“Players claiming a prize payment shall provide proof of age, identity, and citizenship consistent with the requirements set forth in subsection (3). Players also shall provide a residential street address and phone number.”
This identification and verification process is done for prizes of any amount, from $1 up to hundreds of millions. Winners cannot claim a prize anonymously or through a legal entity such as a trust. They must provide their actual identities to Lottery officials.
Information Disclosed About Winners
Once this winner verification process is completed, certain details become part of the public record:
– Name of Winner
– City/County of Residence
– Game Played
– Date Won
– Amount Won
– Name of Retailer Where Winning Ticket Was Sold
The Lottery regularly issues winner press releases and announcements including this information. For particularly large jackpot wins, the Lottery often discloses some additional personal information about the winner such as age, occupation, and plans for the prize money. It invites winners to participate in press conferences and media interviews as well. Winners can decline to participate in media events, but their basic identifying details as listed above are released.
No Anonymous Claims Allowed
While a few states allow lottery winners to remain anonymous, Florida does not accommodate anonymous claims. All winners must personally complete the claim process and verify their identity with photo ID and a sworn affidavit. Winners also must attend a validation meeting at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee and may be required to answer questions to further confirm their identities.
Lottery winners cannot send a lawyer or accountant to claim the ticket anonymously on their behalf. They cannot form a trust or limited liability company (LLC) to claim it either. Florida requires total transparency in lottery winnings over $600, prohibiting anonymous claims that could potentially hide criminal dealings or tax evasion. This also ensures the public knows the winners are legitimate.
Lottery Winners Can Remain Anonymous in Special Situations
While anonymity is generally prohibited, in special circumstances winners can petition to keep some personal details confidential for security reasons. Under Section 24.115(4) of Florida law, lottery winners “may make a written request to the Department of the Lottery to maintain the confidentiality of their personal identifying information.” Upon demonstration of a public safety concern, the executive director has discretion to grant this anonymity request.
This provision is chiefly intended to protect winners’ safety in kidnapping or harassment situations. If winners can prove their lives or well-being are endangered by disclosing their identities to the public, they may be able to claim prizes anonymously. News outlets would be informed not to report certain details about that winner as well.
Petition Process and Requirements
To request anonymity under this exception, Florida Lottery winners must follow a few key steps:
– Submit a Written Petition Explaining the Specific Threat: This must clearly demonstrate a safety justification such as a stalker threat, domestic violence situation, or attempted kidnapping. General privacy concerns will not suffice.
– Provide Supporting Evidence as Necessary: Police reports, court documents, or other evidence may be required to validate the claim of endangerment. Hearsay or speculation will not be accepted.
– Sign a Nondisclosure Agreement: Winners must agree in writing not to publicly disclose their names or personal details if granted anonymity. This NDA ensures confidentiality is maintained.
– Accept Restrictions if Granted Anonymity: Those who are anonymous cannot participate in any press conferences or publicity. Their anonymity may also impede cashing the ticket, claiming prizes, or otherwise collecting winnings.
– Pay Any Required Fees: A fee may be required to process and review the anonymity petition. This covers administrative and legal costs.
If the above conditions are met and the Lottery is satisfied a real threat exists, partial or complete anonymity may be authorized. However, the Lottery still verifies the winner’s identity internally while keeping personal details from public disclosure.
Tax Reporting Makes Full Anonymity Impossible
Importantly, complete anonymity that prevents any government agency from knowing the winner’s identity is not possible. lottery winnings are considered taxable income by the IRS and must be reported. Federal tax reporting requirements mandate disclosure of certain information to the government, regardless of any privacy petitions granted at the state level.
Federal Tax Requirements for Lottery Winnings
Lottery winners cannot avoid federal income taxes, even if they are allowed to claim prizes anonymously by a state lottery agency. Major tax obligations for large lottery prizes include:
– Form W-2G: Lotteries must issue an IRS Form W-2G showing the winner’s name, address, Social Security number, amount won, and date won. This information is forwarded to the IRS.
– 24% Federal Withholding: For lottery prizes over $5,000, 24% federal tax withholding is required upfront upon payout. State taxes may be withheld as well.
– 37% Top Tax Bracket: Winners pay income tax on lottery winnings up to 37% at the highest federal bracket. State income taxes also apply.
– 10% Penalty: Winners who fail to pre-pay taxes through withholding may be subject to an additional 10% penalty.
As a result, total anonymity is effectively impossible for lottery winners claiming substantial prizes. Financial institutions must also file reports on large deposits and withdrawals, further preventing undisclosed lottery winnings.
Public Records Can Lead to Winner Identification
Even if a Florida Lottery winner obtains special authorization for anonymity, their identity may still be discerned through public records. For example:
– Deed Transfers and Property Records: If the winner purchases real estate, records will include their name.
– Vehicle Registrations: Car, boat, or airplane purchases entered into public databases may identify the owner.
– Business Filings: Starting a business, partnership, or other venture requires submitting public documents.
– Campaign Contributions: Political donations over $100 include donor names.
– Court Cases: Any court disputes, lawsuits, divorces, or other hearings bring transparency.
– Social Media Postings: Winners announcing their windfall online obviously forfeit anonymity.
– Press Leaks: Media outlets could potentially identify “anonymous” winners through investigative reporting or leaks.
Barring seclusion in a remote area with no property, banking, or legal arrangements, total invisibility is nearly impossible even for pseudo-anonymous lottery winners. Public spheres almost inevitably reveal identity eventually.
Anonymous Winners Continually Surface
Indeed, despite stringent rules against it, anonymous Florida Lottery winners do surface from time to time. News outlets periodically report on past winners whose names were initially withheld, but later uncovered through public records requests or other means. A few examples:
– In 2013, a $10 million Florida Lotto winner from Cape Coral was allowed to remain anonymous for 90 days, after which they were identified as Raymond Buxton.
– The winner of a $3 million Florida Lotto jackpot in 2015 managed to stay anonymous for over a year before being revealed as Bruce Hetherington of Lake Worth.
– In 2018, Bill White of Ocala was retroactively uncovered as the anonymous winner of a $16 million Florida Lotto jackpot some years prior.
– A $15 million Florida Lotto winner from 2020 was later identified through a lawsuit as Judy Willis of Lakeland, despite successfully petitioning to collect her prize anonymously.
These cases demonstrate that even when anonymity is granted due to safety concerns, winners tend to surface eventually through paper trails, media revelations, or litigation records. Secrecy rarely lasts forever.
Conclusion
In summary, while anonymity for Florida Lottery winners is allowed in special limited circumstances, outright confidential claims are strictly forbidden. Lottery winners must provide proof of identity in order to collect prizes over $600, and key details such as name, city, and amount won are made public. Tax reporting rules also inevitably reveal certain personal information to the IRS. Anonymity petitions citing public safety concerns can provide some confidentiality for winners facing threats or harassment. However, continued secrecy is difficult to guarantee long-term given transparency laws, access to records, and investigative journalism. With great lottery fortunes comes great public interest – for better or worse.
