Like the location of Jimmy Hoffa’s body, the secret formula for Coca-Cola and the possibility of aliens in outer space, the identity of the winner of the second-biggest lottery in American history may remain hidden forever — because of where the person bought the ticket.
South Carolina, where someone purchased a ticket worth $1.537 billion at a convenience store, is one of a handful of states that play Mega Millions and allow winners to be anonymous. Lottery jackpots are often synonymous with dazed winners holding an oversized check, but officials and lawmakers say anonymity can protect winners from being targeted by criminals and other unscrupulous people asking them for money.
“Everything we do we try to create a winner, whether it is education, whether it is a retailer, whether it is a player. Why do you want a player who is a winner and now he becomes a loser because his name is out there?” said South Carolina Education Lottery Chief Operating Officer Tony Cooper in explaining the board’s policy of allowing winners to claim prizes anonymously.
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