By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
Lottery machines spat out tickets at a steady pace, as hopeful souls dropped a couple bucks for a shot at Powerball’s $1.4 billion jackpot — a number so big, it won’t even fit on the stores’ signs — you need a billboard to advertise that kind of prize. If you actually win, brace for the big news conference because only six states let lottery winners remain anonymous and New Jersey’s not one of them. Winners even star in lottery ads here.
“And I don’t think your name should be announced on television. … Because I think it should be private. Nobody has to know,” said a woman.
When told you cannot remain anonymous in New Jersey, a lottery player said, “So everyone’s going to know and everyone’s going to want the money you win!”
“You know, yesterday you were living your life. Today you’re going to be in room with 100 cameras in your face,” said Jason Kurland.
Kurland’s an attorney who’s repped several big lottery winners.
“By the time they come to me, they’re pretty petrified. The shock is wearing off and now they’ve realized that their life is completely changed,” he said. “You’re nervous you’re going to be exploited. If you have children, you’re nervous for their safety. Their exploitation. You don’t want to be taken advantage of.”
Kurland says brand new millionaires should worry about security. Check out Passaic’s Pedro Quezada who won $338 million in 2013 and started his own charitable foundation. On his Facebook page, he complains how scammers target victims using his email address. Kurland advises if you win, don’t go do a public happy dance.
“You don’t tell anybody. This is what you do: you sign the back of ticket, then you make a copy of it and you hide it. Put it in a safe deposit box, preferably,” he said.
Then he says get lawyers and accountants because the feds will collect 25 percent in taxes. New Jersey’s tax on lottery winnings is 3 percent. And the state wins big, too: New Jersey sold $39.9 million worth of tickets leading up to the Powerball draw just between last Thursday and this past Saturday. More than half the revenue goes to support higher education and another third goes to Human Services programs. Ten percent goes to education, five to Military and Veterans Affairs. Imagine the revenue a billion-dollar jackpot will generate. Does that make 15 minutes of fame worthwhile?
“I wouldn’t care because I’d be out of here, anyway,” said one man. So you’re going to do your news conference and jet? “Yup! I’m out.”
“I don’t want the whole world to know. Then you wind up having friends coming out of the woodwork,” said a woman.
Be careful what you wish for, because even after the government pockets its share in taxes, your paltry winnings of, say, half a billion dollars could trigger a massive news conference.