TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – People who win $250,000 or more in the Florida Lottery could choose to keep their identities secret for 90 days under a bill overwhelmingly passed by the House on Wednesday.
Democratic Rep. Tracie Davis of Jacksonville read headlines about multi-million dollar lottery winners in Florida and Georgia being killed after claiming prizes.
“At some point in our lives, we all dream of winning the lottery,” Davis said. “But unfortunately for some people, that dream of winning the lottery, sometimes those dreams become nightmares.”
Davis shared a couple of real-life examples of lottery winners becoming targets for criminals. A man named Abraham Shakespeare won a $30 million prize but claimed $17 million of it in 2006. He was reported missing three years later.
Dorice Moore was arrested and convicted in connection with his murder. She pretended to be his friend and later became his financial adviser but ultimately took his money and shot him. His body was found underneath a concrete slab in 2010.
Davis also mentioned a case in Georgia where seven people were arrested on suspicion of killing Craigory Burch Jr. during a home invasion. He had had just won nearly half a million dollars.
Winners can accept their prize in a trust and remain anonymous to avoid these pitfalls. This bill would give people more time to get that in order. As always, you’re advised to talk with a financial and legal adviser before making major financial decisions.
The records exemption would last for 90 days, with the clock running from the time prizes are claimed. The $250,000 mark was set because prizes of that amount or more require winners to travel to lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.
The bill passed on a 114-1 vote without any debate. Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Howey-in-the-Hills, cast the only dissenting vote. The House passed a similar measure during the 2021 session, but the proposal stalled in the Senate.
An identical Senate bill this year has one more committee stop before being considered by the full chamber. So far, it has received no opposition.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.