Alberta Announces Vax Incentive Lotto Program

Alberta’s government makes a step forward in its vaccination process as the province is hopeful to see more locals get a shot. Premier Jason Kenney revealed the government’s new vaccination incentive lotto promotion which will give individuals with at least one shot of a vaccine a chance to win one of the three CA$1,000,000 prizes.

The announcement for the lottery promotion was made in a social media video last Saturday and its name is the “Open for Summer Lottery”. The program will award three lucky residents with three major rewards, but in order for individuals to take part in the lotto, they must have received at least one shot of a vaccine and to be at the age of least 18 years old.

Big Prize Up for Grabs

Premier Kenney announced the new special lottery program as he stated that many other jurisdictions have already launched such promotions in order to invite more people to get vaccinated. According to him, Alberta’s government has spent billions for its healthcare system during the last 16 months, and the CA$3 million now will be paying for themselves in future savings.

In a Twitter post, Health Minister Tyler Shandro stated that individuals who want to take part in the lottery will not be required to show proof of vaccination. However, he warned that the winners of the draws will be obligated to show such proof in order to claim their prize. This measure was taken in accordance with Alberta’s privacy law.

The first draw for the first main prize will be held on the day that the province enters Stage 3 of the reopening plan. More registration details will be revealed this week, and the window for taking part will remain open for one week after the province reaches the 70% mark of individuals that have received at least one dose of the vaccination. The details about the other two draws are yet to be revealed.

Last week Timothy Caulfield, who is research chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta stated that an incentive lotto program like this one might prove to be helpful for the vaccination process. However, he insisted that the marketing of the campaign must be carefully promoted as it might send the wrong message to the community.

Manitoba’s Campaign

Prior to Alberta’s lotto promotion, Manitoba has also revealed a similar draw-based incentive program to encourage vaccination. Premier Brian Pallister stated that there will be CA$2 million in cash prizes along with scholarships for the younger demographic. Individuals who are above the age of 12 and have received one dose for the vaccine before August 2 will be eligible for the draw.

Another Instance

Besides several Canadian provinces, the vaccination lottery promotion has also been introduced in New York State. In fact, the Empire State was among the first jurisdiction to launch such an incentives campaign as the Vax & Scratch program was announced in May. Locals who have received at least one dose of the immunization and are of the legal age of 18 will be eligible for the draws, as over US$5 million in prizes await.

Source: Herring, Jason “Alberta launches $3M lottery in bid to reach first-dose vaccine target amid faltering demand”, Vancouver Sun, June 12, 2021