Salem, Oregon – A new law in Oregon is about to change the way lottery winnings are handled. Starting this weekend, the names and addresses of Oregon Lottery winners will no longer be made public, offering much-needed privacy for those who strike it lucky. This new policy is part of House Bill 3115, which was passed during the most recent legislative session and is now being put into action by the Oregon State Lottery Commission.
Previously, if someone won a large prize through the Oregon Lottery, their name and address were considered public record. But under this new legislation, the Oregon Lottery is now banned from sharing a winner’s name or address unless the individual provides written permission. If they do choose to opt in, winners may still authorize the use of their names and photos, but otherwise, these personal details will remain fully protected.
What remains public under the new rules, however, are limited details about the win. The Oregon Lottery is still allowed to release the name of the game, the prize amount, the retailer where the winning ticket was sold, and the winner’s city of residence—but nothing more without consent.
Ticket Resellers Targeted by New Restrictions
Along with the move to protect winners’ privacy, House Bill 3115 also takes aim at a growing underground practice known as ticket discounting. This happens when people, known as “discounters,” purchase winning tickets from others for less than their full value, then redeem them for the full prize amount.
“Some players choose to sell their tickets to avoid driving to an Oregon Lottery payment center,” the state explained, “but others may do so to avoid having their prize garnished for outstanding child support or public assistance overpayments, as required by Oregon law.”
To put an end to this practice, the new rules give Oregon Lottery officials the authority to investigate prize claims. If they determine that a winning ticket has been bought, sold, or redeemed in violation of the law, the prize will be denied, and the ticket confiscated.
The Oregon State Lottery Commission officially adopted the rules on Thursday to bring House Bill 3115 into effect.
This new law aims to both protect player privacy and maintain fairness in the distribution of lottery prizes. With the ability to claim anonymously and new safeguards against fraudulent claims, Oregon is taking steps to modernize how lottery winnings are handled.
