Mystery lottery ticket holder wins $410m jackpot - but they could remain anonymous under Arizona law

'We may never be able to release the identity,' Arizona Lottery spokesman John Gilleland says

Danielle Zoellner
Thursday 11 June 2020 23:05 BST
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It was the first Mega Millions winner in the Arizona's history
It was the first Mega Millions winner in the Arizona's history

A mystery lotto ticket holder was the winner of Arizona‘s $410m Mega Millions jackpot, but they can retain anonymity under the state’s new law.

It was the first Mega Millions winner in the state’s history, and the jackpot was the 11th largest prize in the lottery‘s history.

Now a resident has their hands on the million-dollar ticket after first purchasing it on Tuesday at a store in Glendale, Arizona.

“We may never be able to release the identity,” Arizona Lottery spokesman John Gilleland said.

Arizona law states residents who win prizes of $100,000 or more will automatically remain anonymous for 90 days. But they can now opt for permanent anonymity under a new law passed last year.

“Every single person that has won that sort of money has opted for that,” Mr Gilleland said.

The winner can receive annual payments for 29 years or opt for the cash option of $316.8m after taxes.

Other states require for lottery winners to reveal their identity to the public.

But residents of Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Texas, North Dakota, and Ohio also have the option to conceal their identity permanently when winning a prize that exceeds a specific amount.

The winning five white numbers in Arizona are 1, 5, 9, 10, and 23, and the gold Mega Ball is 22.

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