If the $1.5 billion Powerball winner was from North Carolina, everyone would be able to know due to a law that requires the winner and the amount they win to be public record. The father of Rep. Darren Jackson, a Democrat from Wake County, won $1 million in a 2007 Powerball lottery. He received calls from solicitors for months. Jackson tried to pass a bill in the General Assembly last month that would require the winner’s consent before his or her information was released, but it failed. A lottery spokesperson said being open about who wins it keeps the state and lottery accountable. 

SOURCE: News & Observer