Illinois will award $10 million in cash prizes and college scholarships as part of a new vaccine lottery initiative aimed at improving vaccination rates, especially in those areas where they are disproportionately low.
The “All in for the Win” campaign will award cash $7 million in cash prizes ranging from $100,000 to $1 million and $3 million in $150,000 scholarships for vaccinated youth. All Illinoisans who have received their first dose by July 1st will be eligible for the first drawing on Thursday, July 8. Eligibility will be updated before each drawing.
“Illinois residents who got at least one vaccine dose will be automatically eligible to win. There's no sign-up, no forms, no waiting in line. You did your part already. And this is a way of saying thank you. It's also our way of saying to those who haven't yet been vaccinated: Please join us. Vaccines are incredibly effective, and they keep you protected, but they also make your community safer,” Pritzker said at a Thursday press conference.
The first drawing will award one $1 million prize from a statewide pool. Every following Monday will include three $100,000 winners. On August 12, two individuals will be chosen from each of the 11 Restore Illinois regions to receive $100,000 prizes. A grand finale drawing on Aug. 26 will award two additional $1 million prizes.
For those under 18 years old, 20 $150,000 Bright Start College Savings scholarships, equivalent to a full-ride at a four-year public university, will be awarded; Three will be awarded on July 8, and 17 will be awarded on Aug. 26, 11 of which will be distributed amongst the Restore Illinois regions.
All awards are being funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The announcement follows the launch of similar programs in other states, beginning with the Vax-A-Million Lottery in Ohio that has distributed weekly $1 million awards and full-ride scholarships to public universities since May 26.
About 7.3 million individuals, nearly 70 percent of Illinois’ population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Thursday.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said that the vaccine lottery is targeting the still-large number of people who maybe be dragging their feet to get a vaccine or have doubts about it.
“You may have people who have a religious or some other reason why they are never going to get vaccinated … I think that’s a smaller bucket. There are still many people who we call the ‘Moveable Middle’ where they just need a nudge if they haven’t done it yet. The chance to win $100,000 or $1 million or a college scholarship for their child can be the nudge they need to get them off their seat and get the vaccine,” Ezike said.
Donna Thompson, CEO of Access Community Health Network, said reaching those individuals during regular office visits will help increase vaccine outreach by allowing patients to have a one-on-one conversation with their providers about the vaccine’s safety and importance.
Allison Richard
Legislative Consultant
