Here’s How to Remain Anonymous if You Win the Mega Millions Jackpot
Later tonight, Friday, July 29th, there will be a drawing for the Michigan Mega Millions Jackpot. And at the time of writing this article, the jackpot sits at approximately $1.28 billion dollars. Yeah, you read that right...billion, with a "b".
Of course, everyone who plays the lottery hopes to win big. If they do, it should be a time for celebration. However, winning can come with its own set of stresses, too. If you win a lot of cash, there always seems to be a long-lost friend or cousin or whomever that comes out of the woodwork looking for a piece of your winnings. Not to mention, you could become the target of theft or scams. Mainly because, technically speaking, Michigan is not a state that allows you to claim your winnings anonymously.
Can Mega Millions Winners Remain Anonymous?
Some states allow winners to stay anonymous; states such as Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. However, Michigan is not one of those states. But, there is a loophole.
If you win a hefty lottery sum and would like to remain anonymous, you can form a registered lottery club. Here's how you can create one;
To form a lottery club, members must notify the Lottery about their plans to form, confirm the members of the group and establish a name. Once the group is approved, it can begin claiming prizes on behalf of the members. A club can have as few as two members and there are no requirements that prize money must be distributed equally amongst members.
So, no matter how many people make up your lottery club, only one person would need to publicly come forward to claim the winnings. So yes, someone's identity will still be made public, but it would only have to be one person. The rest of the lottery club could remain anonymous. And all of that comes with approval from Michigan's Attorney General's office.
So, if you're headed out to purchase your lottery tickets for tonight's Mega Millions drawing, good luck!