Lotto: Can winners be anonymous?

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There have been some huge jackpot winners in South Africa. If you’re a regular lottery player, then you might enter the draw hoping to walk away with more money than you started with – but have you ever wondered what will happen if you won big at LOTTO?

Jerry & Marge Go Large is based on the story of a real-life lottery win. But what if you wanted to keep your name out of it, and stay an unnamed jackpot winner? Here’s what Ithuba National Lottery says about it.

CAN YOU STAY ANONYMOUS AFTER WINNING THE LOTTO?

According to Ithuba National Lottery on Twitter, the Protection of Personal Information Act means every citizen has the right to privacy. Otherwise familiar as the POPI Act, this important law means that someone’s personal details – including their name and address – can’t be shared without their express consent. Lottery winnings are private, whether you have won R5 or R50 million. If you want to tell people that you’ve won the lottery yourself, that’s up to you: anything else is up to the law.

WHY KEEP LOTTO WINNINGS A SECRET?

There are many LOTTO winners who keep their winnings a secret. Winning the lottery can be a safety concern for many, who don’t want to “advertise” that their bank balance has increased. In other instances, someone might choose to keep their lottery winnings a secret because it might change how others see them – just for their winnings.

HOW DO YOU STAY ANONYMOUS?

Ithuba National Lottery will never disclose your personal information, even after you have won the lottery. Unclaimed tickets are advertised anonymously, so that even if someone comes forward for the jackpot, their names don’t have to be mentioned. If you have won something at LOTTO and want to keep your name out of it, just don’t tell anyone!

Source: thesouthafrican.com