Amendment keeps names of S.D. Lottery winners public

But opt-in for marketing campaigns still required

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

PIERRE – Winners of prizes in the South Dakota Lottery would have to consent for their personal information to be used in marketing campaigns, but the names of winners would still be public information.

That’s a departure from the original intent of Senate Bill 35, which had sought to bar the release of any public information about winners, unless they consented. Although the bill passed the Senate without a no-vote, the House State Affairs Committee amended the bill Wednesday to keep the information public while trying to protect people who didn’t want to participate in hawking Lottery games.

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Bill sponsor Rep. John Mills, R-Volga, opened testimony by telling lawmakers on the committee that he opposes using gambling dollars to fund government functions. Mills argued that Lottery winners should not have their identities released to protect their privacy.

He told lawmakers about how he was fueling his vehicle when he saw the picture of a woman who won $1,000 that was used for marketing.

“She did not look happy at all in the picture,” Mills said. “She looked more like a mug shot.”

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