ARKANSAS, USA — State leaders say they see a correlation between Arkansans getting the COVID-19 vaccine and the number of lottery tickets being cashed for winning prizes.
This comes after the state announced that anyone who received their jab past the end of May could receive a free lottery ticket.
The number of winning cards cashed each week that were distributed to those vaccinated is tracked.
Since Arkansas launched the vaccine promotion in late May, a total of 3,851 winning tickets have been cashed. During the second week of August, there were 642 winning tickets, compared to 597 the last week of July and 207 the second week of July.
Scott Hardin, the state Department of Finance and Administration spokesperson, says the odds of winning if you get vaccinated and claim a lottery ticket is one in three.
In July, a man from Texas won $1 million from a scratch-off ticket he got as a vaccine incentive in Arkansas.
One $1 million prize remains in play along with a $50,000 prize and two $10,000 prizes. A full breakdown of the number of winning tickets claimed has been provided below.
• 1416 people won $20
• 522 people won $30
• 730 people won $40
• 829 people won $50
• 312 people won $100
• 41 people won $500
• One person won $1 million
Read more about COVID-19 vaccine incentives in Arkansas here.