Washington Launches Vaccine Lottery, Offers Dozens Of Prizes

OLYMPIA, WA — Starting next week, vaccinated Washingtonians will have dozens of chances to win prizes, including a combined $2 million up for grabs in weekly lottery drawings, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday.

The Evergreen State joins a growing number of states utilizing cash prizes to boost immunization rates, including the first announced in Ohio last month. Since then, nearly a dozen states have followed in its footsteps, including California, Oregon and New Mexico.

Thursday's announcement is the governor's latest incentive to help push the state over its vaccination goalpost. Under Inslee's plan, the state will fully reopen by June 30, dropping all remaining COVID-19 restrictions. However, it could happen sooner if Washington clears the 70 percent threshold for residents 16 and older receiving at least one dose. As of Thursday, that metric sat just under 63 percent.

“Our state has made tremendous progress, with well over half of our population 16 and older fully vaccinated, but there are still far too many people who have not started vaccination,” said Umair Shah, state Secretary of Health. “We hope this effort encourages people to get their vaccine to protect themselves and their communities as we push toward reopening at the end of this month.”

Here's how the "Shot of a Lifetime" program works

The Washington State Lottery will hold four weekly drawings for $250,000 cash prizes, and a fifth drawing for $1 million. All vaccinated Washingtonians are eligible, and no entry is required since names are pulled from the statewide immunization database. The drawings will take place each Tuesday, starting June 8, and ending with the $1 million grand prize lottery on July 13.

"These incentives will be available to Washington residents who have received a vaccine in our state, whether it was back in December or March, today or next week," Inslee said. "Because we're still in the business of saving lives in the state of Washington, we are making this investment today because we know every life in the state of Washington has value."

The lottery prizes are just one piece of the prize bag for immunized residents. Several of Puget Sound's biggest businesses chipped to provide prizes, including hundreds of Xboxes from Microsoft and Nintendo Switches from Nintendo. For sports fans, the Seahawks, Sounders, Mariners, Storm and OL Reign donated tickets to give away, and the Seattle Kraken are providing tickets to upcoming concerts at Climate Pledge Arena.

Alaska Airlines

• 2 free airline tickets to anywhere Alaska flies

Seattle Mariners

• 4 tickets to an upcoming game
• Full suite to an upcoming game

Seattle Sounders

• 4 tickets to a game in August, plus two autographed jerseys

Seattle Storm

• 10 tickets a game for the rest of the season

Seattle Seahawks

• 4 club level seats, plus parking passes

Seattle Kraken

• Concert tickets

OL Reign

• Four 2021 season tickets, plus a team-signed jersey

The state Department of Commerce has purchased $1 million in gift cards from local businesses across the region, which will be distributed by local chambers of commerce for giveaways at vaccine clinics.

Other prizes include dozens of gift cards from Washington State Parks, good for a full week of camping, along with 400 Discover Passes. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is also providing 80 gift certificates to help cover the cost of hunting and fishing licenses. The state will also provide nearly $1 million to public universities, community and technical colleges to support drawings of their own, which will award student winners free tuition.

According to the governor's office, all winners will be drawn from the state immunization database, and any Washington resident who was vaccinated in the state is eligible. The only people exempt from winning prizes are employees of the governor's office, the Washington State Lottery and the Department of Health.

Read more on the governor's blog.