Ohio Lottery Will Give Five People $1 Million Each to Get Vaccinated

To the many propositions that governments have used to try to bolster slumping demand for the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio raised the ante considerably on Wednesday, announcing that the state would give five people $1 million each in return for having been vaccinated as part of a weekly lottery program.

The lottery, whose legality could raise questions, will be paid for by federal coronavirus relief funds, Mr. DeWine, a Republican, said during a statewide televised address.

The first of five weekly drawings will be held on May 26, according to Mr. DeWine, who said that Ohio Lottery would conduct them.

“I know that some may say, ‘DeWine, you’re crazy!’ ” Mr. DeWine said on Twitter. “‘This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money.’ But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic — when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it — is a life lost to COVID-19.”

#COVID19 vaccine,” Mr. Jordan said on Twitter. “Give me a break.”

Tim Murphy, a writer at the left-leaning magazine Mother Jones, applauded the move.

“i’m sorry, this rules, and congrats to DeWine for coming up with this before Andrew Yang,” Mr. Murphy said on Twitter, referring to the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate now running for New York City mayor, who has campaigned on a platform of universal basic income.

In one of the more widely publicized plans to boost vaccination rates, Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia, a Republican, said last month that the state would give $100 savings bonds to 16- to 35-year-olds who get a Covid-19 vaccine. Mr. Justice later said that he was looking at other incentives amid difficulties trying to set up a savings-bond program, WVNews reported.

New Jersey is offering a “shot and a beer” for residents who get their first vaccine dose in May and visit participating breweries in the state. Detroit is giving out $50 prepaid cards to anyone who drives a resident to a vaccine site. And as an enticement for state employees to get the vaccine, Maryland is offering a $100 payment, Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Monday.