Michigan vaccine lottery: how to enter, where to watch and how much money is at stake

Update: This story has been updated to reflect the new date the first winner will be announced.

Start looking for four-leaf clovers, vaccinated Michiganders. You'll want the extra luck.

That's when Michigan officials will draw the first winner of the state's COVID-19 vaccine lottery, MI Shot to Win Sweepstakes. The first drawing is for a $1 million prize, and the winner will be announced Wednesday, July 14 at 2 p.m.

From then on, drawings will take place frequently to find winners for 30 $50,000 prizes, nine scholarships valued at $55,000 each and one $2 million prize.

The state, with help from Meijer, the Michigan Association of United Ways and other supporters, is using the MI Shot to Win Sweepstakes to increase the number of Michiganders vaccinated for COVID-19. The state is using a portion of its federal coronavirus relief funds to pay for sweepstakes prizes.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said her goal is to reach at least a 70% vaccination rate in Michigan. That's roughly enough to achieve herd immunity for COVID-19, which means the disease would be less likely to spread widely in the community. 

A little over 5 million people over 16 have been vaccinated so far, according to the state vaccine dashboard. That's only 62% of that age group. The state's total population is about 10 million, so 70% of the total population is 7 million.

Vaccination itself has big benefits, like an extremely reduced risk of being infected with COVID-19 and an even smaller risk of getting a serious case. 

And, for those who sign up, there's also the chance to win some bucks.

Here's the latest on MI Shot to Win:

How many people have signed up for the vaccine lottery?

As of Wednesday evening, 1,093,930 Michiganders have signed up for the sweepstakes, Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy said. The sweepstakes ends Aug. 3.

How can I watch the drawing?

The drawing is slated to take place "on or about July 11," according to the sweepstakes rules.

Prize winners will be publicly announced at virtual press conferences that take place after drawings. Press conferences are slated to start July 14 and take place following drawings through the remainder of the sweepstakes.

The press conferences will be livestreamed and available for viewing at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Facebook page. A list of winners will be posted on MIShotToWin.com. 

Does the state check whether entrants are actually vaccinated? 

Yes.

By entering the sweepstakes, participants allow Meijer to verify their vaccination status on the Michigan Care Improvement Registry database, which collects immunization information and makes it available to authorized users. 

Do winners have to pay taxes on their prizes?

Yes. Winners must pay federal, state and local taxes on their prizes. Assuming winners have to pay according to Michigan's standard lottery tax rules, this weekend's winner could take home $717,500 after 24% federal and 4.25% state income tax, and subsequent winners could take home $35,875 barring any local taxes. They will receive an IRS Form 1099 to fill out. 

Who is eligible for prizes?

Any entrant over 18 who has received at least one shot is eligible for the cash prizes. Anyone ages 12-17 who has received at least one shot is eligible for the scholarships. 

Entrants must live in Michigan and be U.S. residents. 

People who are directly involved with the sweepstakes, including Meijer and state employees and contractors involved in the sweepstakes, are not eligible to enter or win. 

How can I enter the sweepstakes?

Michigan residents can enter the MI Shot to Win lottery online at MIShotToWin.com or by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136. The hotline is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Contact Carol Thompson at ckthompson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @thompsoncarolk.