ILLINOIS, USA — Illinois has the best vaccination rate in the Midwest, but they are launching a lottery to try to get even more shots in arms.
More than 70% of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Thursday. Illinois was the first state in the Midwest to reach that mark. Gov. JB Pritzker and the state's health department don't want to ease up, and announced the All In For The Win promotion.
The program features $7 million in cash prizes for winners chosen from the pool of vaccinated adults in the state. The individual prizes range from $100,000 all the way up to $1 million.
And the prizes are not limited to adults. The program offers $3 million in scholarships, including individual scholarships worth up to $150,000.
The first drawing will be held on July 8, and will feature one of the $1 million prizes and three $150,000 scholarships.
There are no sign-ups or forms to fill out, so if you are vaccinated, you are entered.
Residents are encouraged to get vaccinated before July 1 to ensure they are eligible for the first drawing. The Illinois Department of Public Health will continue to update the vaccination database to ensure all vaccinated residents are entered into the lottery pool.
After each draw, the IDPH will contact winners and ask for permission to share their names and contact information with the Illinois Lottery, who will then help the winners get their prizes.
For more information about the lottery, click here.