Around New England

Lottery Winner Can Remain Unidentified, Judge Rules

March 12, 2018

A New Hampshire woman who won $560 million in the multi-state Powerball lottery can remain anonymous but the town she lives in must be disclosed, a judge ruled.

The woman signed the back of her ticket, which the state lottery commission argued means her name has to be made public, under state law. A New Hampshire assistant attorney general also recently argued that it’s in the public interest to disclose the woman’s identity, saying “The lottery thrives on transparency,” according to The Union Leader.

But Judge Charles Temple disagreed, saying there’s no evidence of corruption and that the chances for corruption or an error are very low.

He ruled that disclosing the name of the winner “would constitute an invasion of privacy” under state law, and that it therefore qualifies as an exemption from the state’s right-to-know law, according to The Union Leader.