The Mega Millions is one of the largest multi-state lottery games in the United States. The jackpot starts at $40 million and continues to grow until there is a winner. With jackpots frequently surpassing $300 million or more, it’s no wonder that the Mega Millions captures the attention of people across the country. However, winning such a substantial amount of money comes with its challenges. One major question on the minds of lottery winners is whether they can keep their identity private if they win.
In New Jersey, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. State law requires the New Jersey Lottery to release a winner’s name, hometown, and the amount won. The policy is designed to add transparency and ensure the integrity of the lottery system. However, privacy advocates argue that lottery winners should have the right to remain anonymous for personal safety and to maintain a private life. This issue of winner privacy versus public information is a debate across different state lotteries.
New Jersey Lottery Winner Publicity Policy
The New Jersey Lottery has a clear winner publicity policy stated on its website:
“The State Legislature has mandated that the New Jersey Lottery publicly disclose the winner’s name, town and amount won for all prizes over $10,000. Anonymity can be preserved only under certain limited circumstances.”
This policy applies to all lottery games in New Jersey, including multi-state games like Mega Millions and Powerball. By law, the government agency must reveal the identity of winners of prizes over $10,000. The requirements are outlined in the New Jersey Lottery Law (N.J.S.A. 5:9-1 et seq.) which dictates that the lottery must disclose “the name and address of each prize winner in excess of $10,000.”
The Lottery Law also states that any person claiming a lottery prize over $600 must submit their social security number. This allows the state to deduct back taxes and child support from the winnings if needed. The lottery winners’ names and cities are often highlighted in press releases and on the lottery website to promote transparency.
Some key aspects of New Jersey’s lottery winner publicity policy:
- Names, hometowns, and prize amounts are public for winnings over $10,000
- Anonymity is only granted in special circumstances
- Social security number required for prizes over $600 for tax and debt verification
- Press releases announce big winners with names and towns identified
- Winners over $10,000 must participate in a press conference if requested
Compared to other states, New Jersey offers very limited anonymity for lottery winners. The policy heavily favors public information based on state law.
Can Mega Millions Winners in NJ Remain Anonymous?
Given New Jersey’s publicity policy, Mega Millions winners in the state do not have the ability to remain anonymous. If someone hits the jackpot in New Jersey, whether a resident or visitor, their identity must be made public by law.
The Mega Millions starting jackpot is $40 million, so any winner automatically meets the $10,000 disclosure threshold. Even if a winner tries to set up a blind trust or limited liability company (LLC) to claim the prize, their name will still be released publicly. New Jersey simply does not allow lottery winners to keep their privacy.
This can be concerning for winners who want to maintain normal lives out of the public eye. Lottery winners can become targets for unwanted publicity, scams, lawsuits, and constant requests for money. However, New Jersey legislators argue that revealing winners’ identities maintains transparency and integrity in the lottery system. It shows the public that real people win substantial prizes.
Based on the rigid disclosure rules, there is essentially no way for a Mega Millions winner in New Jersey to remain anonymous. The only recourse would be to pursue legal action to try and claim privacy rights. But the lottery law seems clear that anonymity is not an option.
Special Circumstances for Anonymity
While complete anonymity is not possible for Mega Millions winners in New Jersey, there are some special circumstances where limited confidentiality can be granted.
According to the NJ Lottery’s official rules and regulations, the Executive Director has discretion to keep a winner’s identity private under the following conditions:
- The winner is an active duty military member
- The winner is the victim of abuse, harassment, or threats
- The winner has a court order requiring confidentiality
- The winner requires anonymity for another compelling reason as determined by the Executive Director
These situations allow for anonymity only at the Executive Director’s judgment on a case-by-case basis. The winner would need to proactively petition the lottery to make an exception to the publicity rules. Even then, their identity might still be revealed partially orrequire delayed disclosure.
For example, a winner could potentially get approval to maintain anonymity for a period of time if they are the known victim of harassment or abuse. But their identity would still likely be disclosed eventually, just on an agreed upon timeline. Lottery officials want to grant exceptions only when absolutely necessary for a winner’s safety and well-being.
It is important to note that these scenarios are shades of anonymity, not guaranteed confidentiality. The Executive Director has total discretion to interpret circumstances and determine whether limited anonymity could apply.
Anonymity Policies in Other States
Across different states, lottery winner anonymity policies fall into three main categories:
- Forced publicity states like New Jersey that require disclosure
- Partial anonymity states that allow blind trusts or LLCs
- Full anonymity states that allow winners to remain unnamed
Here is a table summarizing state lottery anonymity policies:
| Forced Publicity States | Partial Anonymity States | Full Anonymity States |
| New Jersey | Maryland | Delaware |
| Oregon | Ohio | Kansas |
| South Carolina | Arkansas | North Dakota |
As the table shows, New Jersey falls into the most strict category when it comes to winner publicity. Other populous states like Ohio and Maryland offer more flexibility by allowing winners to form blind trusts through a lawyer or claim prizes through LLCs. And a few states like Delaware, Kansas, and North Dakota have no requirement for disclosing winner identities at all.
This patchwork of policies across different lotteries leads to venue shopping by some winners. People who win the lottery in one state sometimes travel to claim the prize in a state that allows anonymity. For example, the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot in 2018 was won anonymously by a South Carolina resident who claimed the prize through a blind trust in South Carolina. The trust enabled the winner to avoid publicity even though they lived in New Jersey which required disclosure.
But for winners who reside in and win the lottery exclusively in New Jersey, anonymity is not an option based on current laws. The state Lottery Law would need to be amended legislatively to ever allow confidentiality.
Pros and Cons of Forced Publicity in New Jersey
There are good faith arguments on both sides of New Jersey’s winner publicity policy. Proponents of forced disclosure emphasize transparency and fraud prevention:
- Transparency – Revealing winners’ names provides accountability and shows the public that real people win huge jackpots.
- Fraud prevention – Publicity makes it harder for lottery officials or winners to commit fraud by claiming false prizes.
- Public role models – Putting a spotlight on big winners tells inspirational rags-to-riches stories.
- Encourages ticket sales – Seeing past winners from a community helps drive future ticket purchases.
However, critics of New Jersey’s strict policy argue anonymity better protects winners:
- Safety and security – Keeping identities private shields winners from security risks and scams.
- Unwanted attention – Publicity subjects winners to constant harassment and requests for money.
- Loss of normal life – Identifying winners ruins their ability to live and work normally.
- Right to privacy – Winners should have privacy rights over personal information like anyone else.
There are merits to both arguments over lottery winner publicity policies. New Jersey lawmakers ultimately prioritize public transparency based on the current law. But the concerns over privacy and personal safety are valid and lead some winners to try avoiding publicity.
Claiming the Prize Anonymously Out of State
Since New Jersey does not allow for full anonymity, some winners consider claiming their prizes in other states that do allow confidentiality:
- Delaware, Kansas, and North Dakota have policies that specifically permit lottery winners to remain anonymous and exempt from public records laws.
- Winners can set up anonymous trusts in states like Ohio, South Carolina, and Maryland to claim a prize while keeping their names private.
- States with anonymity often advertise this policy to attract winners from other states.
- Traveling across state lines to claim a lottery prize is completely legal as long as taxes and debts are satisfied.
However, there are some potential downsides of claiming a lottery prize out of state anonymously:
- It can raise suspicions and lead to investigations if winners abruptly claim a prize elsewhere.
- Winners may need to set up trusts or partnerships in the destination state which takes time.
- Taxes may still need to be paid in the winner’s home state depending on residency.
- Lawmakers in forced publicity states oppose winners finding loopholes to get anonymity.
Out-of-state claims require planning if winners wish to avoid identification. And due to growing opposition, claiming anonymously across state lines may get more difficult in the future. But for now, it remains an option for Mega Millions and Powerball winners who want complete confidentiality.
Calls for Reform in New Jersey
Some voices are starting to speak out against New Jersey’s rigid anonymity policies, calling for legislative reform:
- State senator Troy Singleton introduced a bill in 2020 to allow winners to remain anonymous indefinitely.
- Some lawmakers argue New Jersey’s current policies subject winners to privacy risks and harassment.
- Lottery transparency does not require full identification according to reform advocates.
- Letting winners opt for anonymity may drive up lottery ticket sales and participation.
However, there is still significant resistance to changing existing lottery laws in New Jersey:
- Powerful lawmakers argue current publicity rules prevent fraud and protect the lottery’s integrity.
- Influential lottery lobbyists work to block any reforms to winner disclosure policies.
- Law enforcement claims anonymity would make lottery claims harder to investigate.
- Some feel anonymity goes against the spirit of the lottery as a public enterprise.
Overcoming entrenched legislative opposition will likely prove challenging for anonymity advocates in New Jersey. But the calls for reform reflect a growing public concern over lottery winners’ rights and privacy. Other states have modernized their lottery laws in recent years to offer winner protections. Time will tell if New Jersey joins the shift towards more anonymity in the future.
Steps to Claim a Mega Millions Jackpot Anonymously
If a New Jersey resident wins the Mega Millions jackpot but wants to keep their identity confidential, here are some key steps to claim anonymously:
- Claim the ticket immediately to start the prize process and get representation.
- Hire a lawyer to help navigate claiming anonymously.
- Have the lawyer set up an anonymous trust or LLC in a state that allows winner privacy.
- Transfer the winning ticket to the trust or LLC.
- Make arrangements to travel anonymously to the state to claim the prize in person.
- Follow that state’s procedures to verify identity privately as the representative of the trust or company.
- Ensure taxes are properly paid in New Jersey before claiming the prize out of state.
- Collect the prize as the anonymous entity instead of in the individual’s name.
This approach takes coordination and legal support to execute properly. Even then, New Jersey may challenge an attempt to subvert their publicity requirements. Winners have to weigh the benefits of anonymity against the complications of an out-of-state prize claim.
Conclusion
In summary, remaining anonymous after winning the lottery in New Jersey is extremely difficult under current law. State policy mandates full transparency for winners of prizes over $10,000. Only limited confidentiality can be granted for special circumstances like personal threats. For full anonymity, winners must claim their prize out of state using trusts or LLCs. Calls for reform are growing, but legislative changes face considerable opposition. For now, Mega Millions winners in New Jersey should expect publicity with very little ability to stay unnamed. But the landscape may shift towards more privacy protections in the future.
