COVID Vaccine Lottery Action in Ohio and Maryland
The COVID-19 pandemic seems to be dwindling away somewhat in the United States, thanks to the onset of several vaccination options. To keep the momentum going, certain US states are offering lottery promotions, providing tens of thousands and even millions in prize money.
The hope is that the contests will encourage residents to take the vaccination, protecting more people across the nation.
Ohio and Maryland are the latest states featuring vaccine lottery options. Players in each state can easily qualify to earn a prize just by being vaccinated. However, the rules of each contest are different and must be met before a player is eligible for the vaccine prize drawing.
Vax-a-Million in Ohio
In Ohio, the state is offering up the Vax-A-Million contest. The incentive program will give away a $1 million prize for adults or a fully paid college scholarship fund for kids. Since the lottery program started, the number of vaccinated individuals has increased dramatically.
There has been an increase in vaccinations within the younger age groups, from 16 to 19 and 20 to 49-year old’s. In addition, almost 2.8 million people have signed up for the vaccination lottery drawing. Governor Mike DeWine announced the increase this week.
We’ve seen increases really across all demographic groups. That’s a very, very good thing.”
Participants who register in the contest are eligible for the remaining four lottery drawings. On Wednesday nights, the Ohio Lottery’s Cash Explosion television show airs. At the end of the show, the vaccine lottery winner will be announced.
To be eligible, players must be a permanent resident of Ohio and have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Anyone can register, but prizes will not be officially awarded until the individual has been verified for eligibility.
On July 4, the state will hold a final drawing, and a much larger $400,000 prize will be awarded. Individuals vaccinated before the contest started are eligible to win along with those who just received their first shot.
VaxCash in Maryland
Over in Maryland, officials are hoping more residents will be vaccinated thanks to the VaxCash promotion. From now through July 3, the state will award one person $40,000 per day. This contest may offer less cash than Ohio per winner, but more prizes will be provided to vaccinated players.
The drawings within the contest will take place with a random number generator. A computer program will randomly select a number provided by the state lottery from the Department of Health. Winners will then receive a notification from the Health Department. A form will be sent and filled out, and released for the lottery to obtain the winner’s name and award them their prize.
Winners of the VaxCash promotion in Maryland can remain anonymous. However, if the winner is from a town that consists of more than 60,000 residents, then the hometown location of the winner will be published. In smaller cities, only the county information is made public.
