Ohio's first Vax-a-Million winners will be revealed Wednesday evening.Two names will be announced: One adult winning $1 million, and one young person — aged 12 to 17 — will win a full-ride scholarship to an Ohio university.Both winners have already been chosen for the state's vaccine lottery, picked Monday via a random number generator by the Ohio Lottery. The winners from that drawing will be announced a 7:29 p.m. Wednesday. You can watch the announcement online in the video player above, or live on WLWT-TV.Time is needed between the drawing and announcement for verification purposes, state officials said.Both winners have to be vaccinated and Ohio residents. Up to 100 additional names will be drawn if the winner cannot be verified as vaccinated.Participants must register to enter by phone or via the Vax-a-Million website, with names carried over week to week. Ohioans must have at least one dose of a vaccine by 11:59 p.m. Sunday before that week's drawing. Click here to sign up for future drawings. You can also register by calling a special state hotline, 1-833-4-ASKODH. Below, we're answering all of you questions on Ohio's Vax-a-Million incentive.WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF WINNING? As of May 24, 2,758,470 Ohioans registered for the $1 million drawing. So for each drawing, your odds are about 1 in 2.7 million.Additionally, 104,386 young Ohioans — ages 12 through 17 — registered for the scholarship drawing. The odds here are considerably better.Those odds will almost certainly worsen over the next few weeks as more people receive a shot of the vaccine.DO I HAVE TO REGISTER TO WIN?Yes.Previously, Ohio residents didn't have to do anything to have a shot at the big money.But upon reflection, those in charge of the Shot-ery Sweepstakes, so to speak, found the process would be too chancy and cumbersome.Names from the state's voting database were to be included automatically. But the options to provide contact information were considered too varied."That could slow down our ability to locate them and obviously we want to move this as quickly as we can," explained Stephanie McCloud, director of the Ohio Health Department."And we want to be able to contact and verify them within that 48 hours."HOW CAN I WIN $1 MILLION?Five vaccinated adults will be chosen at random in five separate weekly drawings to win $1 million.That $1 million will be taxed.To be eligible, you need to be an Ohio resident and at least 18 years old. Additionally, Ohioans must have at least one dose of a vaccine by 11:59 p.m. Sunday before that week's drawing.If you were vaccinated in another state, you can still register as long as you are a permanent Ohio resident.HOW CAN I WIN A FULL SCHOLARSHIP?There are incentives for young people too. Five vaccinated Ohioans aged 12 to 17 will be chosen at random to win a full four-year scholarship.That scholarship includes tuition, room and board and books at any Ohio university. The same rules apply. You must have at least one shot of the vaccine by the time of the drawing.They can opt-in on their own -- at the same website — but should their name be drawn they would need a parent or legal guardian to verify their information.WHEN WILL WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?The first of five winners will be announced May 26, with four consecutive winners announced each Wednesday that follows.Winners will be announced at 7:29 p.m.HOW DOES THE DRAWING WORK?The Ohio Department of Health will be the sponsoring agency for the drawings, and the Ohio Lottery will conduct them.Winners will need to verify their vaccination status and will be asked to provide their vaccine card.Up to 100 alternative names would be drawn if the winner cannot be verified as vaccinated, which begs the question about a potential criminal penalty since we're talking about such a large lump sum payout once taxes are deducted."I don't think there'll be any penalty," stated Gov. Mike DeWine. "We're not interested in penalties. We're interested in incentivizing people, kind of giving them one more fun reason to be vaccinated."The lottery will conduct the drawings and says it has the capacity for up to 10 million entries.The drawings will be on the next five Mondays. The winners will be known on the following Wednesdays."We have beefed up everything," said Maureen Hall, CIO of the Ohio Lottery. "And we certainly have the security protocols in place to ensure minimal downtime if it happens."CAN WINNERS REMAIN ANONYMOUS?Were you to win the Ohio Lottery $468 million Mega-Millions drawing, you could set up a trust and remain anonymous.Winners of Vax-a-Million will not be allowed to do that.Their names will be public.WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM?The money will come from existing federal coronavirus relief funds, the governor said.DeWine said he expected criticism about his decision to use federal relief bill dollars.But he brushed it off by saying "It has not been done before. It's unusual. But these are unusual times."WHAT ABOUT THE CRITICISM?An Ohio lawmaker is drafting a bill to end Ohio’s Vax-a-Million giveaway and others like it.Rep. Jena Powell called the $1 million lottery for vaccination Ohioans a “frivolous use of taxpayer dollars.”The Republican said funds should be used in other ways, such as addressing children’s mental health."We don't need Governor DeWine giving us an award for getting a shot like when we were kids. Ohioans are smart/wise people who make decisions for themselves. The vaccine lottery is a frivolous use of taxpayer dollars," Powell tweeted.She said she plans to formally introduce her bill this week. It’s the latest legislative effort to limit Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s authority throughout the pandemic.DeWine cast aside questions about Powell’s bill on Monday afternoon, pointing to increasing vaccination numbers as proof his vaccine lottery idea is working.“We’ve seen increases really across all demographic groups,” DeWine said. “That’s a very, very good thing.”The biggest increase in vaccinations in the 16- to 17-year-old age group: a 94% increase. Among 18- 19-year-olds, there has been a 46% increase. From the 20-49 age group, there has been a 55% increase in vaccinations, the governor said.
Ohio's first Vax-a-Million winners will be revealed Wednesday evening.
Two names will be announced: One adult winning $1 million, and one young person — aged 12 to 17 — will win a full-ride scholarship to an Ohio university.
Both winners have already been chosen for the state's vaccine lottery, picked Monday via a random number generator by the Ohio Lottery.
The winners from that drawing will be announced a 7:29 p.m. Wednesday.
You can watch the announcement online in the video player above, or live on WLWT-TV.
Time is needed between the drawing and announcement for verification purposes, state officials said.
Both winners have to be vaccinated and Ohio residents. Up to 100 additional names will be drawn if the winner cannot be verified as vaccinated.
Participants must register to enter by phone or via the Vax-a-Million website, with names carried over week to week. Ohioans must have at least one dose of a vaccine by 11:59 p.m. Sunday before that week's drawing.
Click here to sign up for future drawings. You can also register by calling a special state hotline, 1-833-4-ASKODH.
Below, we're answering all of you questions on Ohio's Vax-a-Million incentive.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF WINNING?
As of May 24, 2,758,470 Ohioans registered for the $1 million drawing. So for each drawing, your odds are about 1 in 2.7 million.
Additionally, 104,386 young Ohioans — ages 12 through 17 — registered for the scholarship drawing. The odds here are considerably better.
Those odds will almost certainly worsen over the next few weeks as more people receive a shot of the vaccine.
DO I HAVE TO REGISTER TO WIN?
Yes.
Previously, Ohio residents didn't have to do anything to have a shot at the big money.
But upon reflection, those in charge of the Shot-ery Sweepstakes, so to speak, found the process would be too chancy and cumbersome.
Names from the state's voting database were to be included automatically. But the options to provide contact information were considered too varied.
"That could slow down our ability to locate them and obviously we want to move this as quickly as we can," explained Stephanie McCloud, director of the Ohio Health Department.
"And we want to be able to contact and verify them within that 48 hours."
HOW CAN I WIN $1 MILLION?
Five vaccinated adults will be chosen at random in five separate weekly drawings to win $1 million.
That $1 million will be taxed.
To be eligible, you need to be an Ohio resident and at least 18 years old. Additionally, Ohioans must have at least one dose of a vaccine by 11:59 p.m. Sunday before that week's drawing.
If you were vaccinated in another state, you can still register as long as you are a permanent Ohio resident.
HOW CAN I WIN A FULL SCHOLARSHIP?
There are incentives for young people too. Five vaccinated Ohioans aged 12 to 17 will be chosen at random to win a full four-year scholarship.
That scholarship includes tuition, room and board and books at any Ohio university. The same rules apply. You must have at least one shot of the vaccine by the time of the drawing.
They can opt-in on their own -- at the same website — but should their name be drawn they would need a parent or legal guardian to verify their information.
WHEN WILL WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?
The first of five winners will be announced May 26, with four consecutive winners announced each Wednesday that follows.
Winners will be announced at 7:29 p.m.
HOW DOES THE DRAWING WORK?
The Ohio Department of Health will be the sponsoring agency for the drawings, and the Ohio Lottery will conduct them.
Winners will need to verify their vaccination status and will be asked to provide their vaccine card.
Up to 100 alternative names would be drawn if the winner cannot be verified as vaccinated, which begs the question about a potential criminal penalty since we're talking about such a large lump sum payout once taxes are deducted.
"I don't think there'll be any penalty," stated Gov. Mike DeWine. "We're not interested in penalties. We're interested in incentivizing people, kind of giving them one more fun reason to be vaccinated."
The lottery will conduct the drawings and says it has the capacity for up to 10 million entries.
The drawings will be on the next five Mondays. The winners will be known on the following Wednesdays.
"We have beefed up everything," said Maureen Hall, CIO of the Ohio Lottery. "And we certainly have the security protocols in place to ensure minimal downtime if it happens."
CAN WINNERS REMAIN ANONYMOUS?
Were you to win the Ohio Lottery $468 million Mega-Millions drawing, you could set up a trust and remain anonymous.
Winners of Vax-a-Million will not be allowed to do that.
Their names will be public.
WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM?
The money will come from existing federal coronavirus relief funds, the governor said.
DeWine said he expected criticism about his decision to use federal relief bill dollars.
But he brushed it off by saying "It has not been done before. It's unusual. But these are unusual times."
WHAT ABOUT THE CRITICISM?
An Ohio lawmaker is drafting a bill to end Ohio’s Vax-a-Million giveaway and others like it.
Rep. Jena Powell called the $1 million lottery for vaccination Ohioans a “frivolous use of taxpayer dollars.”
The Republican said funds should be used in other ways, such as addressing children’s mental health.
"We don't need Governor DeWine giving us an award for getting a shot like when we were kids. Ohioans are smart/wise people who make decisions for themselves. The vaccine lottery is a frivolous use of taxpayer dollars," Powell tweeted.
She said she plans to formally introduce her bill this week. It’s the latest legislative effort to limit Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s authority throughout the pandemic.
DeWine cast aside questions about Powell’s bill on Monday afternoon, pointing to increasing vaccination numbers as proof his vaccine lottery idea is working.
“We’ve seen increases really across all demographic groups,” DeWine said. “That’s a very, very good thing.”
The biggest increase in vaccinations in the 16- to 17-year-old age group: a 94% increase. Among 18- 19-year-olds, there has been a 46% increase. From the 20-49 age group, there has been a 55% increase in vaccinations, the governor said.
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