First MD Vaccine Lottery Winner Was From Baltimore County

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — The first person to win the Maryland Lottery's prize for being vaccinated is a Baltimore County resident, officials reported Tuesday.

From May 25 to July 3, the Maryland Lottery is giving away $40,000 to a Marylander who has been vaccinated. On the Fourth of July, one person will be awarded $400,000.

Here is how it works, according to Maryland Lottery officials: "Each Maryland resident age 18 or older who has been vaccinated at a non-Federal facility in Maryland has been randomly assigned a number in a secure system maintained by [the Maryland Department of Health]. Separately, the Lottery is using a random number generator to select a winning number each day from the total number of people who have been vaccinated."

Drawings will occur at 11 a.m. daily. Afterward the Maryland Lottery will announce the winner's hometown or county.

For the first drawing — which happened Tuesday — lottery officials reported the winner was a Baltimore County resident.

The Maryland Department of Health, which is in charge of the vaccination records, will get in touch with winners using the contact information they provided at the time of vaccination. Winners can remain anonymous.

Anyone 18 and up who lives in Maryland and has been vaccinated at a non-federal facility is automatically entered into the lottery, which is called the VaxCash promotion.

Federal facilities include those run by the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs, according to the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.

Money for the promotion — called VaxCash — comes from the Maryland Lottery's marketing fund, which was set aside for advertising, according to a statement from the agency.

“This is an extraordinary program that we’re excited to be part of," Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director Gordon Medenica said in a statement. "Getting more people vaccinated is good all the way around – for the state, for businesses, and for the Lottery as well."

Today's $40,000 VaxCash Winner is from Baltimore County, MD!
Learn more about the promotion here: https://t.co/cUK1ERVCdF #VAXtoWin pic.twitter.com/hFbHj4SP8P
— Maryland Lottery (@MDLottery) May 25, 2021

The Maryland Lottery, which is one of the largest revenue sources for the state, said in a statement that the VaxCash promotion will not impact its donation to the Maryland General Fund.

See Also:

• State To Enter Vaccinated Marylanders In 41 Lottery Drawings
• MD Paying $2M In Prizes To Select Vaccinated Residents