If you take an average number of (over) 100 lottery winners world wide, annually, and multiple that over the last 20 years, you come up with an astonishingly high number of people. That only counters the jackpot winners.  The count of less then the jackpot is probably 100 or 200 times that.  The number who are bothered are minimal.  Remove those who blab and blab to all who will listen, and that number drops even higher. Remove those who chose to remain in high crime areas, or hang with criminal and druggies, and the number goes down even higher.  Remove those who made it through thrity days (which security consultants can handle), and I don't remember any one being bothered.  If you have security for a month or two, you have exceeded the memory capability of those who would attempt to attack an area with security alarm systems.  Criminals are stupid, but not totally dumb.

Again, there is zero protection from a blabber mouth.  There is even less then zero protect from a wife; give it up if it is an ex-wife!  Once hormones are released, stone walls are useless. Remaining anonymous does nothing to protect any one from the rage of a wife.  Neither logic, facts, common sense, nor a separation of the Red Sea, will stop an outraged wife.  Watch U-Tube and you'll see proof  of that!  There is a constant exhibit of deranged women, soon there will be one spinning her head and spewing pea soup.

Did I not read that Ohio was looking to get rid of the "anonymous" option? 

People tend to look at lottery winners and their money differently than they do someone who, how should I say this? Earned it? Especially family, more so if they're the jealous type that view a win as though the person doesn't deserve it so why can't they have a share?

Heck, my family feels that way even about people who earn the money.  I have that proverbial "rich uncle."  Two, in fact.  And a well-to-do brother.  Everyone, including my dear sweet mother (who no one would ever suspect) thinks they deserve a piece of that money.  My mother owed the IRS some money last year and expected my brother to pay it.  Why?  If she would have saved her money in the bank, she would could have paid it herself.  She bitched about it for over a year before ever actually doing anything about it.  All that time and she couldn't save the money?  We are talking about someone who owns their own business here, who is doing well and thriving.  Not living paycheck to paycheck.  And yet, those family members who are living paycheck to paycheck wouldn't dream of asking for any money from any of the above. 

He refused to help her out at all.  I guess he has noticed her clinging to him like white on rice since he started making alot of money.  Her boyfriend ended up paying for it all., which shocked me, since it came from his retirement fund. 

Naturally, if I won, my mother would be taken care of... but there is something about people who stand with their hands out just because someone is doing better than them, that I don't like.

Look, that person's pulling into the Gas Station and asking to "fill it" with "Super"! They MUST be the $196M winner because nobody else has that kind of dough! Or they came out of Sam's Club with four bags of rice, another red flag!

OK.. it was ME. I lost the ticket in the parking lot. What do you mean, I was in nj the whole time? Prove it! OK, maybe it wasn't me... but you just wait 'till I take up boxing! I'll be rich AND famous!!!

Why do people have to use blind trusts? Then I don't know who to be jealous of or who to ask to borrow money from to buy gas or rice!

They have computers in Las Vegas???

All winners should be allowed to remain anonymous. It is totally ridiculous that some lotteries require winners to go public. There should be a law allowing winners to remain anonymous. Many who do go public, regret it later. It is time for state governments to legislate for anonymity.

 and amen!! and with all these killings and stalkers and sheisty neighbors, i will take the lottery commission to court and sight those reasons alone as to why i MUST claim anonymously. period!

 Xs 2

It seems like I read a story on here a while back about a woman who got the money put into a blind trust but whose name was revealed anyway. Does that ring a bell with anyone?

There is no point in publicly getting the money unless you want to be famous, with all the attendant problems.  People seem to misunderstand the point of claiming anonymously. It is not so no one at all will ever find out - you assume your family and friends will - it is to keep your name out of the papers and internet and keep the beggars, thieves, con men, moochers, long lost cousins, etc. away from your door and your phone. Having $150 million is life changing enough without the circus going on every time you walk out your door.

However, if I were young and single and looking to meet women, I'd probably put my picture out there.

The only story I'm aware of was the one from a few months ago about the Illinois winner who claimed it in a trust (but for some reason took something like two or three months to do it) but I don't believe the name of the wiiner was released just the attorneys. They did mention something that about the winner working for a pharmacy (or maybe owning it) that if true, pretty much give away who it is to those who live near the winner. But again, that info could have been made up and the winner might have been wearing a disguise aside from the big sun glasses.