A New Hampshire women who won a $560 million Powerball prize is fighting in court for the right to remain anonymous.
But the winner of the ticket has yet to claim her prize. The controversy centers over lottery rules that require winners to reveal their identity including their name, town, and the amount of the winnings, according to Fox.
New Hampshire is one of the few states that allow winners to remain anonymous. But this winner did not follow the procedures for doing so. Instead, she signed the ticket in her name before she consulted a lawyer. She calls it “a huge mistake,” according to NewHampshire.com’s review of court documents.
“After completing and signing the ticket, Ms. Doe met with counsel and learned for the first time that a trust could sign for and collect the winnings, thus preserving her privacy,” said Gordon, referring to his client as “Jane Doe,” via the court documents obtained by NewHampshire.com.
Now the winner wants to put the name of a trust on the ticket, but lottery officials say that if they let her alter the ticket her winnings will be void, according to Fox.
The winner has a hearing set for Feb. 21 to address the case, according to NewHampshire.com.
“Don’t sign that back of the ticket because if you sign it you lost confidentiality,” Attorney William Shaheen wrote in the post. “It becomes public, and you lost the option of staying anonymous.”
The post mentions that the previous New Hampshire Powerball winner, in 2016, stayed anonymous by using a trust with the help of the firm.