Colorado to randomly award $1 million to 5 vaccinated adults, and $50k to 25 vaccinated teens

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DENVER — In Colorado, getting your COVID-19 vaccine now gives you a shot at becoming a millionaire.

Governor Jared Polis announced May 25 that Colorado, in a partnership between the Colorado Lottery and CDPHE, will randomly award $1 million to five vaccinated Coloradans ages 18 and up.

“May the odds be ever in your favor, Colorado,” Polis said. “Rather than gamble on getting COVID, let’s take a chance on winning a million dollars. That’s a good risk, not a bad risk.”

In order to be eligible for all five of the million-dollar drawings, dubbed "Colorado Comeback Cash," individuals must receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by June 1. The first drawing is scheduled for Friday, June 4. 

The other drawings will be:

  • June 11
  • June 18
  • June 25
  • July 7

 

Polis estimated the odds of winning the $1 million in any of the five drawings is about 1 in 500,000.

Close to 3 million Coloradans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccinated Coloradans do not have to sign up or register for the drawing to be eligible, Polis said; the state already knows who has been vaccinated due to the records kept by the Colorado Immunization Information System.

A random number has been assigned to each person who has received their vaccine, and the Colorado Lottery is assisting in the drawing by randomly selecting five of those numbers.

The funding for the weekly drawing comes from the CARES Act, not the Colorado Lottery, Polis said.

“The lottery is good at randomly selecting things,” Polis explained. “That’s why they’re involved. They just get the number. They don’t have the names.

“We feel this [drawing] compliments some of the advertising and outreach we’re doing, and will generate even more interest in the vaccine than if we simply had spent this money on television commercials,” the governor continued.

Several states have begun using monetary incentives with hopes of increasing vaccination rates. Ohio, the first state to announce a drawing like this, is also offering $1 million to five different residents.

Polis said he hopes to see similar results as Ohio, which saw vaccination rates increase by 28% after their million-dollar drawing was announced, according to the state’s department of health.

Maryland and New York have created similar drawings.

The $1 million is subject to taxes and is a lump sum payment, Polis explained. The governor and Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, as well as the auditors conducting the drawing, are not eligible for the million-dollar prize.

More information on Colorado Comeback Cash is available here.

Kyle Cooke is the Digital Media Manager for Rocky Mountain PBS. You can contact him by emailing kylecooke@rmpbs.org or on Twitter at @KyleACooke.