State Lawmaker Seeks Openness Among Lottery Winners

Wednesday, November 22nd 2006, 5:58 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma Lottery Commission decides to leave it up to the state Legislature to decide whether people should be able to claim lottery prizes through an anonymous trust.

Edmond Republican Senator Clark Jolley has questioned the possibility that those ineligible to play the lottery, such as commission employees, could use a trust to claim a winning ticket.

Commission members decided yesterday to have a committee study the issue. But they say lawmakers wrote the lottery law and should have the final say on changing it.

Assistant Attorney General Gay Tudor says the issue appears to be outside the commission's rule-making authority.

Senator Jolley says he will propose legislation next year that would prevent people from claiming prizes through a trust unless the winning ticket was bought by that trust.