The Maryland Lottery today drew the first winner in the $2 Million VaxCash Promotion, an unprecedented collaboration of the Maryland Lottery and Maryland Department of Health (MDH) initiated by Governor Larry Hogan. The promotion will award $2 million in cash prizes to a total of 41 Maryland residents who have received COVID-19 vaccinations.
Daily drawings from May 25 through July 3 will award one winner each day a $40,000 prize. The first $40,000 winner drawn on May 25 is a resident of Baltimore County.
The promotion culminates with one final drawing on the Fourth of July when one lucky Marylander will win a $400,000 prize.
Each day at approximately 11 a.m., the Maryland Lottery will announce the winner’s hometown or home county. MDH, the custodian of the state’s vaccination records, will contact each winner asking them to sign an authorization form, giving MDH permission to provide the winner’s name to the Lottery to begin the prize-claiming process. Winners will have the option to remain anonymous, and their identities will not be provided to the Lottery without their written authorization.
Each Maryland resident age 18 or older who has been vaccinated at a non-Federal facility in Maryland has been randomly assigned a number in a secure system maintained by MDH. Separately, the Lottery is using a random number generator to select a winning number each day from the total number of people who have been vaccinated.
“This is an extraordinary program that we’re excited to be part of,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director Gordon Medenica. “Getting more people vaccinated is good all the way around – for the state, for businesses, and for the Lottery as well.”
Prizes will be paid from the Lottery’s marketing budget – money that has already been allocated for advertising and promoting Lottery games – and will not diminish the Lottery’s contribution to the Maryland General Fund.