Arizona Lottery Winners May Get Temporary Anonymity

By Stina Sieg
Published: Monday, January 26, 2015 - 6:06pm
Updated: Tuesday, January 27, 2015 - 11:53am
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Winners of big lottery jackpots in Arizona may soon be able to keep their identities secret, at least for a few months. A bill to temporarily give winners privacy was approved by a state Senate committee Monday.

The bill is sponsored by Republican Sen. John Kavanagh and it’s a watered-down version of one he pushed in 2013 when he was in the House.

That bill would have kept winners’ names secret forever. This one would give winners three months before their names would be released. Local media objected to the original bill, saying it would hinder the ability of the press and the public to monitor the lottery's action.

The revised bill is still opposed by a local newspaper and TV station, but a representative said it’s better than the previous version.