Yes, when you win a lottery in Maryland you remain anonymous and the lottery service provider will additionally protect your identity. Besides the fact that remaining anonymous is not a very good marketing strategy for lotteries, Maryland lotteries operates under strict policies that forbid them to release the lottery winner’s photos, unless you as the winner gives consent.
Huge amounts of money can cause jitters and can even be accompanied by fear of the unknown. Besides lottery winners are usually the center of attraction from immediate family members to relatives and the society at large especially in churches.
At the Maryland lottery if you happen to bag huge winnings from the ticket scratch-offs, you still have to present yourself physically at the official Maryland lottery offices. And you have to bring with you your official identification so that they can ascertain you are indeed the holder of the winning ticket. Additionally, such winnings are subjected to tax, so while you might remain anonymous appearing physically at the Maryland lottery offices is mandatory.
Tips and Tricks of remaining anonymous after winning the lottery
Once you win the lottery, and a huge sum at that, your friends will come closer, con artists will also try to shake you off of some cash. So, chances of you burning quickly through your cash are real. A good number of lottery winners have ended up with destroyed marriages, wrecked friendships and some swiftly went back to being poor.
Lottery winners also have the mindset that they can now reward their years of struggling and will start throwing parties, buying things they don’t actually need, and even go for vacation trips that are way too costly. A good example is Mickey Caroll a young 19 years old lad, that won a British Jackpot and which he used to finance drug-fueled parties. A lot of the winnings were wasted on cars and expensive jewelry among other materialistic excesses. Mickey, later on, worked in a slaughterhouse trying to make ends meet after using up all his winnings.
So, while remaining anonymous after winning a huge lottery in Maryland will keep greedy family members and friends away. Finding the right way to invest the huge sum could also provide you with a soft landing when things get thick in the future. Below are tips and tricks that will offer you privacy and peace of mind after winning the lottery.
- Ensure to buy your ticket in a state that will not demand your physical presence during the press conference. Currently, there are about 11 states that allow winners to remain anonymous and these are the states that you should probably purchase your tickets from some of which are Arizona, Maryland, Ohio, South Carolina, Delaware, Kansas, New Jersey, and North Dakota among others.
- Change your number and delete your social media accounts. If the lottery that you won is going to make your winnings public or even release your name, ensure that people cannot find you. And even if they eventually do, it would be hard for them to prove that you are actually the one who won the lottery.
- Wear a disguise when claiming your prize– If the lottery requires your physical presence ensure to wear a disguise, all they will need is your voice confirming that you actually won the huge prize. Besides lottery winnings are not processed fast, you will, therefore, have time to grow a long beard, you can also grow long hair if you usually shave. Better yet you could wear a cap and sunglasses, with baggy clothing.
- Cover your face with the cheque– lotteries have a habit of presenting players with gargantuan cheques, so if push comes to shove, in addition to your disguised appearance, you can simply cover your face with the cheque. Additionally, don’t accept your full names to be used on the cheque, the lottery can use one name and the remaining bit they can use your names initials.
- Don’t make big purchases immediately– it could be very hard to convince your friends that you are not the one who won the Megamillions when out of the blues you just purchased the latest sports car. So, once you get your winnings you will have to exercise some patience and restrain yourself from buying expensive toys at least for one year. Because such purchases usually draw a lot of attention.
- Make purchases under an LLC or Trust– when all the dust has settled and your neighbors and friends have not been able to establish that you won the jackpot. You can now move to a new place and buy a home and all your assets under an LLC or trust this will help you build anonymity. Important to note is that taking this route might not be entirely seamless, because the structure that you will utilize under this option will be determined by the state that the winner lives in.
- Skip Town– they say change is the only thing that is constant and with all the huge winnings nothing is preventing you from starting life in a new town or better yet a new country. This is a perfect way of getting away from the limelight.
Conclusion
Lotteries do not accept winners to remain anonymous mainly because it is a marketing strategy and encourages more people to participate. In essence, is that it builds the integrity of other players, winning lottery tickets bought in California requires the winner to reveal his or her identity, this is usually done to guarantee the integrity of the games. But after winning a lottery in Maryland you can remain anonymous and even forbid the lottery from publishing your personal details.
FAQ’s
Which states allow lottery winners to remain anonymous after winning the lottery?
There are up to 11 states that allow winners to remain anonymous after winning the lottery, some of which are South Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, North Dakota, and New Jersey.
Does Maryland hide the identity of a jackpot winner?
Yes, Maryland hides the identity of lottery jackpot winners.