Virginia Lottery Now Allows ALL Winners to Stay Anonymous Starting July 1

Virginia has taken a major step toward protecting lottery winners’ privacy by eliminating all prize-size thresholds for anonymity. Starting July 1, winners of any amount in the state will no longer have their names publicly displayed on the Virginia Lottery website or featured in promotional photos unless they provide written consent.

This change also means the lottery will no longer publish the names of Lottery Rewards and second-chance winners online. Instead, these winners will receive private notifications via email after drawings.

The policy shift builds on Virginia’s progressive approach to winner privacy. Since 2019, the state has allowed winners of prizes over $10 million to remain anonymous, later lowering that threshold to $1 million in July 2025. This adjustment enabled a Virginia resident to claim the state’s largest-ever lottery prize—$348 million from a Mega Millions jackpot—in August 2025—without revealing their identity.

Currently, only about a dozen U.S. jurisdictions offer full anonymity to all lottery winners, while many states still require public disclosure of winners’ names, hometowns, and prize amounts. Proponents of transparency argue it builds public trust in the fairness of lottery operations and can boost sales after big wins. However, privacy advocates highlight the risks winners face when their identities are exposed.

“Don’t advertise it. Don’t tell too many people you won. If your name’s out there, everyone comes out. Not only family you haven’t spoken to in a long time, but charities. Mostly good. But some are bogus.”

These words of caution came from Jason Kurland, a lawyer who advised lottery winners before his 2020 arrest in a $107 million fraud scheme. His case underscored the dangers winners face when their identities are publicized, from scammers to violent criminals. In 2006, Florida laborer Abraham Shakespeare was murdered three years after winning a $31 million jackpot, while Craigory Burch Jr. was fatally shot in Georgia just weeks after claiming a $434,272 prize in 2016.

The shift toward anonymity reflects growing concerns about winners’ safety and privacy in an era where public exposure can have devastating consequences. With Virginia now joining the ranks of states offering full anonymity, lottery players in the Commonwealth can claim their winnings without fear of unwanted attention.