Ohio Offers $1 Million Lottery for People To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced an unusual incentive program for the citizens in his state to be administered with the COVID-19 vaccine -- a $1 million lottery. According to the Republican governor, only people who have been administered the vaccine will be qualified to win the prize. The prize will be paid for by the federal COVID-19 funds.

5 Vaccinated Ohio Citizens To Get $1 Million Each Should Their Names Get Drawn

Any Ohioan who has received at least one dose of the novel coronavirus vaccine is qualified to win $1 million. Five Ohioans will be drawn at random in five drawings per week.

According to DeWine, during a statewide televised address, the lottery's legality may raise questions. The first of five weekly drawings will take place on May 26. He added that Ohio Lottery would conduct them, reported The New York Times.

The governor wrote on Twitter, "I know that some may say, 'DeWine, you're crazy!' This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money.' But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic -- when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it -- is a life lost to COVID-19.

Succeeding drawings will transpire every Wednesday for a total of five weeks. To win, participants should be an Ohio resident and 18 or older before the lottery takes place, reported Politico.

This week, New York also carried out a new package of incentives. They indicated that in addition to its existing offers of free tickets to sports games, free beer, and seven-day metro cards, free tickets would be granted to many of the city's key attractions (Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Bronx Zoo, and Lincoln Center) to vaccinated people.

Although not ruling out cash prizes, New Jersey is also now offering a "shot and beer" program that rewards newly vaccinated people with a free beer at participating breweries through the rest of May. Officials throughout the US are seeking unique solutions to overcome COVID-19 vaccine dubiousness.

According to DeWine, names for the drawing will be taken from the voter registration database of the Ohio Secretary of State. Ohio locals can also sign up through a website if their name is not in the voter database.

In his statewide address, DeWine declared Ohio's health orders would be lifted on June 2. Ohioans under 18 years old and eligible to be administered the vaccine will be entered into a drawing for a four-year full scholarship to Ohio's state universities and colleges.

The lottery is called "Ohio Vax-a-Million." The sponsoring agency for the drawings is the Ohio Department of Health.

Among all the states, Ohio would offer the largest payout by far. DeWine disclosed the incentives alongside the news that he has ordered the Ohio Department of Health to lift most COVID-19 pandemic health guidelines on June 2.