What I would like to know, is what took them so long...?

 am sure thars a ryme and reason behind it ....

enjoy the mystery and find a good place to hide when you win

I got a phone call one day from a man with an Indian accent stating he worked for the lottery claims department.
I suppose he wanted to verify/obtain a few things.
First tip off was the accent.
Next was the pressure to make sure he was speaking to the person he called for...me. (at times even cutting me off mid-sentence)
Next was the name: Bobby Benjamin. huh?
He had the correct area code for Headquarters..turns out the number didn't work to call back though.
I had the number for Headquarters, called and lo and behold, no such person in employment..then, or ever.
Scam.
Poorly pulled off.
I'm all for keeping winners names, hometowns, photos, etc out of the wrong hands. The option to remain anonymous
should be out there for everyone. A year will not help. Make it forever.

I agree Dr, lets keep them anonymous forever! However, I'm glad that NJ is doing something (now come on Powerball!).

Yeah, Glad we have it here.

I know what the rhyme and reason is for, and that is to let the public know the state isn't just taking the money and running, but I think we all know how many politicians would do that now don't we?

I'd like to know by vote how many of these politicians would be willing to let everyone know just where they live if the shoe were on the other foot.

This should be a right of the individual, not the State..

As far as hiding, I'll rent a studio apartment in the state somewhere and have the utilities turned on in my name, while I'm actually out West On my cattle ranch drilling for oil on the lower Forty, can't get to much more incognito than that....

 dr65"A year will not help. Make it forever." heck it may take some people a few months just to get their affairs in order. Before you know it that year has past.

I agree, one year is next to no help at all, unless the winner changes his/her name within that one year. But I would not want to go through the hassle of changing my name. I say make it at least five years or longer, or forever.

yes and after that period where they can start to breath a little easier and relax a bit, the scammers
begin calling because the year of 'protection' has ended and the news is out just as it would have been a year prior.
That's just pointless.
I'm happy they have 1/2 a thinking hat on, maybe they'll find the rest under a rock somewhere and really do some good for
winners.

Get that thing signed big guy, the sooner you sign it, the sooner we can head down that road to permanent anonymity.

Lol.
Accents & Bobby Benjamin, that right there is a reipe for financial disaster. Would you have given him some credit if he called himself "Benjamin Button? "

For michigan only games, but for some reason there's a lot of michiganders who still want their names out there with pics and the amount they won.............just don't get it

Insanity.
With Sandy passing through NJ last year  and people knowing you a resident who has deep pockets, anything could happen. Those people who lost everything deserve  relief from their pain & suffering but there are others who were not affected at all but still try to screw the system and if you a Jackpot winner and you make it known,you might as well get in line to be screwed as well.

With todays Technology your name would somehow get out there anyways.