What's happening
This bill allows New York state lottery winners to remain anonymous by preventing public disclosure of their identities upon request.
Why it matters
Protects winners from unwanted attention and potential threats. By allowing lottery winners to remain anonymous, the bill helps shield them from scams, harassment, and potential criminal targeting that can arise when personal information is made public.
Supports financial and emotional well-being. Immediate publicity can lead to overwhelming contact from strangers, distant acquaintances, and financial solicitations, which can be emotionally distressing and destabilizing for winners.
Changes the dynamic of lottery promotion and transparency. While the state can no longer use winners' identities for publicity or marketing purposes without permission, this may also shift public perceptions about the authenticity of winners and the lottery process.
Requires proactive action from winners. Anonymity is not automatic; winners must submit a written request to withhold their information, which means those unaware of the option could still be publicly identified.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Keep Lottery Winners Anonymous
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to ways and means
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
587
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to permitting state lottery winners to remain anonymous to the general public
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision a of section 1613 of the tax law, as amended by chapter 426 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
a. It shall be the duty of the director to require that all prizes over five thousand dollars in any game be awarded to holders of winning tickets for that game as provided in this section and section sixteen hundred fourteen of this article. Within one week after any drawing or selection of prize winning lottery tickets, the division shall deliver to the comptroller a certified list of the tickets to which prizes are awarded and the amount of each such prize. Upon receipt of such certified list and voucher of the division, moneys sufficient for the payment of such prizes shall be paid to the division from the lottery prize account, upon audit and warrant of the comptroller. Moneys for the payment of lottery prizes shall be deposited by the director as provided in section sixteen hundred eleven of this article and the withdrawal of such moneys for the payment of prize winners shall be subject to a check signed by the director or such officers or employees of the division as the director may designate. The division shall each month provide the comptroller with a record of all such withdrawals from the director's accounts. Payment of prizes shall be made by the division to holders of the tickets to which prizes are awarded, except that payment of any prize drawn may be paid to the estate of a deceased prize winner, may be paid pursuant to a court order granted as a result of a proceeding as provided in subdivision d of this section, and except that any person pursuant to an appropriate judicial order may be paid the prize to which
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00425-01-5
the winner is entitled. The division shall not publicly disclose the name, address or other identifying information of any holder of a winning ticket or require any winning ticket holder to perform any public actions in connection with the awarding, payment or collection of prize moneys where a holder of a winning ticket provides a written request to the division. The division shall be discharged of all further liability upon payment of a prize pursuant to this subdivision.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.