Ohio's $1 Million Dollar Lottery Failed to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations

The JAMA Network published a study on July 2, 2021 that found Ohio's COVID-19 vaccination lottery that offered five $1 million prizes didn't pay-off in increased vaccination rates. So, on May 12, 2021, the state of Ohio announced a lottery system to pay randomly selected vaccine recipients up to $1 million.

After the May 12th announcement, vaccination rates didn't significantly climb in Ohio (30 per 100,000 residents).

"The study did not find evidence that a lottery-based incentive in Ohio was associated with increased rates of adult COVID-19 vaccinations," the study authors wrote. "In contrast, the analyses suggest that the rate of decline in vaccinations slowed to a greater extent in the US than in Ohio after the May 12 lottery announcement."