The Arizona Senate has defeated a measure that would have allowed lottery winners to remain anonymous, but the issue is likely to come back up for another vote.
The bill would require only a winner’s city and county to be made public. Making their name public would be up to the winner.
Supporters say the measure is a way to make sure lottery winners are not deluged after they win a lot of money and say it’s a safety issue. But critics say not releasing winners’ names could hurt the lottery’s credibility, and that if winners do not want their names to be public, they should not play in the first place.
The House had overwhelmingly approved the bill in February, but on Thursday, four Senate Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the measure. This might not be the last word on the issue, though. The Senate did agree to reconsider the bill at a later date.