Cuomo Unveils $5M Coronavirus Vaccination NY Lottery Incentive

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers could win up to $5 million if they roll up their sleeves next week for a coronavirus vaccine shot.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday unveiled "Vax & Scratch" — a major incentive aimed at drumming up flagging vaccination rates across the state.

“In essence, you get a vaccination and you get a free $20 scratch off ticket for the multiplier game 100 percent free,” he said.

The pilot program will run from May 24 to 28 and apply to unvaccinated New Yorkers who get shots at state-run mass vaccination sites.

And good news for eligible New York City dwellers — four of those sites are in the city.

They include Javits Center and Medgar Evers College.

Each ticket is a $20 value with a one-in-nine chance of being a winner, Cuomo said. Prizes range from $20 all the way up to $5 million, he said.

The pilot program marks the Empire State's entry into a growing group of cities and states that offer significant cash prizes and other incentives for unvaccinated people.

Ohio famously started a $1 million lottery for the vaccinated.

Cuomo noted New York's prize is substantially more. He prefaced his announcement by pointing out that the pace of vaccinations recently declined 43 percent.

"Troubling news, the number of vaccinations are slowing and they’re slowing dramatically,” he said.

More than half the state's residents are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, Cuomo said. Likewise, half of New York City's eligible population is fully vaccinated.

Both levels are far below the level experts say is necessary for herd immunity.