Can the Powerball winner stay anonymous? Here’s what happens if you win in Pa.

Some people might not want everyone to know they’ve just won the lottery — especially not if they win a jackpot of nearly two billion dollars.

But that may be the case for anyone who wins the Pennsylvania Lottery. And yes, that includes the Powerball, a multi-state lottery game.

The current Powerball jackpot is estimated to be $1.9 billion dollars (with a cash value of $929.1 million). So, to avoid any friends or family suddenly asking for a loan, one might think that it would be best to stay anonymous. Or barring that, concerns about privacy and even safety might make one wish the news didn’t go public.

But according to officials with the Pennsylvania Lottery, don’t plan on keeping your jackpot win a secret. At least not if you win in our state.

“Generally speaking, we advise players of our traditional games, including Powerball, that they cannot remain anonymous,” read a response from Ewa Swope, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Lottery. “Under Pennsylvania law, certain winner information is a public record. This is a way to assure the public that Lottery winners are real people and that the Lottery operates with integrity and transparency.”

In fact, Swope said, the Pennsylvania Lottery publishes winner information on their website “on a routine basis” to help keep that info transparent. Anyone looking for info on who’s been winning what with the lottery in our state can find out by clicking here — and that’s before various media outlets start sharing the news.

So if you do get a winning Powerball ticket, be prepared for a bit of publicity to accompany those millions of dollars.