"It's the winner's life that is at stake." Statistics show you're being overly dramatic. If you'll give me a verfiable number of total lottery winners over the last 20 yrs. along with the number of people known to have been murdered for their winnings in that same time period, then I'll give your statement some validity. Until then, however, it's nothing more than hyperbole.
After this thread was started, I've done a lot of reading and research on "lottery winners killed"; I came up with these cases: Jeffrey Dampier, Abraham Shakespeare, Urooj Khan and most recently, Arthur Neal. We can even add the Thorne kidnapping in Australia from nearly 55 yrs. ago. There may be more and I'd welcome any additions to that short list and it might very well sway me from my belief we need transparency in all dealings of the lottery. In the cases of Dampier and Shakespeare, they were murdered by people related to or close to them, not strangers. IOW, anonymity wouldn't have helped them.
The Khan case (poisoning) was initially ruled accidental, but foul play is now suspected and simple logic would dictate the murderer would have to be someone who would stand to inherit the money. (I've read he and his brother argued over the money and the brother is now a prime suspect). Anonymity wouldn't have helped in his case, either.
Neal's case is different, murdered by someone who thought he had cash from a lottery win...a win that hasn't been verfied, only given as the reason by Neal's family for his murder . (The last I read, the lottery says no one has claimed that money.) I would venture that - considering the location - Neal would have been murdered if it had been thought he had a significant amt. of money from any other source ... or for a big screen TV ... or for an eight-ball (or less) of cocaine.
The Thorne kidnapping, while certainly tragic, would be the best argument of the lot for anonymity and indeed, Australia now allows winners to stay anonymous, but it and the other cases also point out the need for common sense and a winner's need to be cautious after winning, anonymous or not.
If you're wanting to prove anonymity is required by cherry picking from such a small number of cases, then I'd counter with the example of Eddie Tipton, the Iowa man who won $14.3 million, but who also worked for the Multi-State Lottery Association as the association's director of information security. According to news reports, he enlisted the aid of others in trying to covertly claim the prize. I would maintain his case perfectly illustrates the need for public disclosure. (and I'm sure there are others, I just didn't care to do more reading about this subject - my eyes are crossed as it is.) Without the transparency, fraud can and certainly will happen.
Seems to me lottery winners face more danger from their family and/or friends than they do from total strangers wanting to kill them for their winnings. I would also suggest anyone who wants their state to allow for anonymous claiming to petition your state legislator by phone, email and preferably with written correspondence. (I've read that last makes more of an impression as it takes much more time and effort to write a letter than the other two) Make your opinions be heard where it counts; after all, your representatives are supposed to be working for you.
Lastly, while I agree with a few of the posts on this thread, I still think a period of anonymity after a win is all that's really needed. I have said it before and will keep on saying it that I'm more afraid of someone in a suit and tie and a million dollar smile stealing my money than I am of someone dressed in black with a ski mask covering their face. (they may think I'm reaching for my wallet, but they're going to be suprised with a loud bang and a bright flash of light, hopefully the last light they see before they head off into that other bright light...or darkness, whichever you believe the afterlife will bring) While I love my nieces and nephews and they love their Uncle Mike, I'll worry more (basically not much at all) about them killing me for my winnings than I will a stranger.