PA To Consider Shielding Lottery Winner Identities

HARRISBURG, PA — Pending legislation in the state Senate would keep private the identities and other personal information of Pennsylvania Lottery prize winners. Pennsylvania's Open Records Law currently deems such information as public.

The bill, to be introduced by Sen. John Yudichak of Carbon and Luzerne counties, would give lottery winners the choice of whether to disclose their name and other identifying information. If the winner declined the release of that information, only the winner's city and county would be revealed.

"While recognizing the importance of transparency in Pennsylvania Lottery operations, I believe it is equally as important to protect our lottery winners’ privacy and protect them from criminals and scam artists who prey upon big jackpot winners," Yudichak, an independent who chairs the Senate Community Economic and Recreational Development Committee, said in a recent memo.

Yudichak did not indicate when the bill would be introduced.

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