Why the Mega Millions $1.3B winner's identity might always remain a mystery

The identity of the lucky Illinois ticket holder who won the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot last Friday might always remain a mystery as the money remains uncollected.

Winners of the jackpot have an option to remain anonymous if they prefer, to avoid negative attention or unwanted solicitations. However, this time, the identity of the winner remains unknown for other reasons: no one has shown up to claim the massive prize yet.  

"Congratulations to the Illinois Lottery for selling the winning ticket for the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot," Ohio Lottery Director Pat McDonald said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have witnessed one of the biggest jackpots wins in Mega Millions history."

Lottery officials are encouraging players to double-check their numbers as they try to find who the winner might be.

The winning ticket was sold at the Speedy Café Speedway gas station on East Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines, Illinois. The winning numbers were 13, 36, 45, 57, 67, and the gold mega ball was 14.

While some states have public disclosure laws that require the identity of the winners to be made public, Illinois does not have such a law.

"If your prize is $250,000 or greater, you may request to keep your name and municipality of residence confidential by indicating that choice on the Illinois Lottery Winner Claim Form," according to Illinois Lottery rules. 

"You must make this request at the time of claiming the prize. If you do not, to assure the public that prizes are won and awarded, the Illinois Lottery will routinely publish winner information, including the winner’s name, home city, and the amount won,” the rules continue.

Other states that offer some form of lottery anonymity include, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming, according to Fox News.