Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

Here are all the states offering cash prizes as an incentive to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Here are all the states offering cash prizes as an incentive to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Residents of Ohio, New York, Maryland, Kentucky, Colorado, Oregon, and California will get a shot at cash prizes for getting the COVID-19 shot.
Ohio is offering a $1 million jackpot to five vaccinated adults.
Republican Gubernatorial-elect Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine gives his victory speech after winning the Ohio gubernatorial race at the Ohio Republican Party's election night party at the Sheraton Capitol Square on November 6, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio.


The cash prize will come from the state's share of pandemic relief funds.

Residents younger than 18 years old are not eligible for the cash prize, but instead will entered into a lottery for a four-year full scholarship — tuition and accommodation included — to any state college or university.

The state administered a record number of vaccines in the first two days after announcing the $1 million vaccine lottery.


New York will launch a $5 million "Vax & Scratch" lottery program to incentivize people to get vaccinated.
People receive COVID-19 vaccines at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., May 14, 2021.


New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state will give people $20 scratch-off lottery tickets for a chance at a $5 million Mega Multiplier Lottery if they receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The program, announced Thursday, will run from May 24 to May 28 at 10 mass vaccination sites run by the state.


Maryland announced the state will offer $2 million in lottery cash prizes to encourage residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.


Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said residents over the age of 18 who sign up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will be entered into the lottery.

"All you have to do to enter is get your shot," Hogan said Thursday.

The cash prizes will be dispersed in daily $40,000 drawings between May 25 to July 3, ending with a $400,000 jackpot, which will be drawn on July 4.


Kentucky residents will get a shot at a $225,000 prize by getting a COVID-19 shot.
A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at The University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., December 14, 2020.


The Kentucky Lottery is giving a free Cash Ball 225 ticket — which usually costs $1 per ticket — to COVID-19 vaccine recipients ages 18 and older.

Lottery officials will give 225,000 free tickets out to vaccinated residents in the state.

"I hope this shot at $225,000 will be the incentive needed for more Kentuckians to get a vaccine," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said. "Helping keep our Kentucky communities safe and a free chance at winning hundreds of thousands of dollars is a win-win for everyone involved. "

The program runs until Friday, May 21, or until tickets run out.


Oregon residents who have at least one dose of a COVID-19 will be eligible to win a $1 million jackpot.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown reacts during a press conference in Roseburg, Oregon on October 2, 2015.


Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced the state's "Take Your Shot, Oregon" lottery campaign during a news conference on Friday.

Residents ages 18 and up will have a chance to win the $1 million cash prize by getting at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and one person from each of the state's 36 counties will win $10,000.

Residents ages 12 to 17 will be entered in a separate drawing where five winners will each receive $100,000 college savings scholarships.

"Getting vaccinated not only protects you from COVID-19, it helps protect your loved ones," Brown told reporters Friday. "It takes us one step closer to unlocking the restrictions during the pandemic."

"And in Oregon, it now gives you a chance to win $1 million," the Oregon governor continued. "That sounds pretty good."


Colorado announced a new program, "Colorado Comeback Cash," to choose one vaccinated resident a week to win a $1 million jackpot.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wears his signature Broncos mask during a news conference on May 18, 2020.


Colorado Gov. Jared Polis launched the "Colorado Comeback Cash" program to incentivize residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Starting June 4 until July 5, one vaccinated resident will be chosen at random to win $1 million, with one winner each week for five weeks.

To be eligible for the first drawing on June 4, residents must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by June 1.


California launched a $116.5 million lottery on Thursday to incentivize residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference on homelessness in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020.


Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the program, dubbed "Vax for the Win," on Thursday. Residents of California ages 12 and older and have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine are eligible for the lottery.

"It's our biggest 'thank you' yet to Californians who have received their COVID-19 vaccine," the program's website reads.

On June 15, 10 winners will be chosen oto receive a $1.5 million jackpot each. Another 30 residents will be selected to win a $50,000 cash prize — 15 residents will be chosen on Friday, June 4, and another 15 winners on Friday, June 11.

On top of the larger cash prizes, the program will also give $50 cards — given in the form of a virtual debit card or grocery gift card — to the first two million Californians who start and complete their COVID-19 vaccination upon the lottery's launch date on May 27.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
×