Yes. If you win a Minnesota lottery prize that includes a cash payment greater than $10,000, your name is automatically classified as private data, and the Minnesota Lottery cannot release it unless you sign a written consent. Staying anonymous after winning the lottery in Minnesota is the default, not something you have to request. The protection has been in place since September 1, 2021, and it applies to every lottery game run by the state.1The Minnesota Lottery. Lottery Anonymity in Minnesota
What the Law Actually Protects
The rule lives in Minnesota Statutes section 349A.08, subdivision 9. It works in two layers.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 349A.08 – Lottery Prizes
Every lottery winner’s phone number and street address are private, no matter the prize amount. On top of that, if your prize includes a cash payment greater than $10,000, your name is private too. You don’t file anything to get that classification. It attaches automatically the moment you win.
The threshold matters. It’s tied to cash payment, and it’s a “greater than” line, not “at least.” A prize of exactly $10,000 does not clear it.
What Stays Public
Anonymity in Minnesota is not total silence. For a qualifying prize, the public can still learn:
- The prize amount
- The name of the game
- The name and city of the retailer that sold the winning ticket1The Minnesota Lottery. Lottery Anonymity in Minnesota
So a news story might report that a $5 million Powerball ticket was sold at a specific gas station in Duluth. What it cannot report, without your consent, is who bought it, where they live, or how to contact them.
The picture is different for smaller prizes. If your prize is $10,000 or less in cash, your name and city are public data, and they can appear on the lottery’s winners list. Your street address and phone number remain private in either case.3Minnesota Lottery. General FAQ – Minnesota Lottery For any prize of $600 or more, the prize amount and retailer information are posted on the Minnesota Lottery website regardless of whether your name is released.1The Minnesota Lottery. Lottery Anonymity in Minnesota
If You’d Rather Go Public
Some winners want the check presentation and the press. The statute allows that, but through an opt-in, not a waiver you sign in passing. Under subdivision 9(d), the lottery director must first explain how the agency intends to use your name, and you must then give written consent.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 349A.08 – Lottery Prizes If you say nothing, nothing is released.
Protecting Yourself When You Claim
Anonymity does not remove the claim paperwork. Every winner of $600 or more must complete a claim form that asks for your full name, residential address, Social Security number, and date of birth.4Minnesota Lottery. Claim a Prize The lottery holds that information internally; the privacy classification governs what leaves the agency, not what you have to hand over to it.
Two practical steps matter before you hand anything over:
- Sign the back of the ticket immediately. An unsigned ticket has no established owner, and anyone holding it could try to claim it.
- Decide how you’ll claim before you show up. Prizes up to $50,000 can be mailed in or brought to the lottery’s Roseville headquarters. Prizes over $50,000 must be claimed in person at Roseville, and appointments are recommended.4Minnesota Lottery. Claim a Prize
The headquarters is at 2645 Long Lake Road, Roseville, MN 55113, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.5Minnesota Lottery. Contact Us and FAQ If your prize qualifies for name privacy and you want to keep it that way, don’t announce the win to anyone you don’t need to, and do not sign a consent form the lottery presents until you understand exactly what it authorizes.