Oregon Lawmakers Pass Bill Protecting the Identity of Lottery Winners

The State Bill calling for the identity of lottery winners to remain anonymous was passed with a 23 – 5 vote by Oregon lawmakers on Tuesday.

The anonymity provision to House Bill 3115 was that of sponsor Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield. Lawmakers agreed that the names of winning lotto tickets could only be made public by winners in a written agreement.

Presently, Oregon is one of 23 states that allows winners’ names to be disclosed. The ruling was made in the name of public trust and transparency.

Bill Will End Tax Evasion Cottage Industry

One of the main reasons for the revision to current legislation is to end a cottage industry that has opened the door to tax evasion measures by opportunists.

A local news network discovered that millions of dollars of winnings were paid to these ‘entrepreneurs’ who purchased winning tickets at discount prices from the original owners at between 50 cents to 80 cents on the dollar.

The winnings were sent to a business in Australia that was then able to evade tax payable on the full value of the lottery prizes.

Since the launch of the lottery in Oregon in 1985, staggering amounts of money have been spent on the game of chance.

Last year, the lottery generated $1.7 billion in revenue, of which $942 million was allocated to various state services. Apart from boosting local economic development, the lottery also supported beneficiaries such as veterans, schools, and parks.