Vax-a-Million: What are the rules for Ohio’s $1 million prizes?

Ohioans can start signing up for a chance to win $1 million or a full college scholarship today as part of a push by the state to increase awareness and encourage more people to get vaccinated against coronavirus.

To opt-in for the drawings, visit ohiovaxamillion.com at any time or call the Ohio Department of Health at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Starting May 26, the Ohio Lottery will announce the winner of the $1 million drawing and the college scholarship each Wednesday at 7:29 p.m. for five weeks. Winners will be announced on TV and at ohiovaxamillion.com. The drawings will take place on the previous Monday to give the Ohio Department of Health time to confirm eligibility and contact winners.

There will be five $1 million drawings and five full scholarships awarded. The scholarships target students ages 12-17 and will include a four-year, full-ride, including room and board, tuition and books, to any Ohio state college or university.

To be eligible, winners must meet the following requirements:

  • Must be a living U.S. citizen and permanent resident of Ohio
  • Must be at least 12 years old
  • Cannot be incarcerated or convicted of a felony
  • Cannot be an employee of officer of the Ohio Lottery Commission, Ohio Department of Health or the Ohio Governor’s Office, or a blood relative or spouse of such an employee
  • Must have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine prior to the drawing date

Eligible Ohioans can only submit one entry per person. All entries will be reviewed prior to the drawings and duplicate entries will be removed.

It does not matter where or when a person was vaccinated. People who were vaccinated outside of Ohio but are still permanent residents of the state are still eligible to win. Ohioans who received the vaccine prior to the creation of the Vax-a-Million program are also still eligible.

Entrants only need to sign up once to be eligible for all future drawings. If a person wins they be removed from the pool for future drawings.

By signing up, entrants are giving permission to the Ohio Department of Health to access their vaccination records. Winners may be asked to provide proof of vaccination.

During drawings, alternates will also be randomly selected. If a winner is deemed ineligible, an alternate will receive the prize instead. The alternates will be used in the order they are selected.

Any information submitted by a minor or adult under a guardianship must be validated by a parent or guardian. Entry forms for Ohioans ages 12-17 must include a legal guardian’s information, including name, address, phone number and email address.

Winners of the $1 million prizes will receive a 1099 tax from from the IRS and will be held responsible for any associated taxes. Winners will receive the prize approximately six weeks after the drawings.

The college scholarship funds will be distributed into the Ohio CollegeAdvantage Direct 529 Savings Plan, which will manage the funds for the winners. Ohioans can select which college they want to attend, but the scholarship prize does not guarantee admission. The scholarship will be available until the winner turns 28, after which remaining funds will be forfeited.

To view the full list of rules and requirements, read below:

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