North Carolina lottery fails to significantly increase number of vaccinations
Since North Carolina announced a $1m lottery on June 10, vaccination rates have gone up by just 1%.
The lottery was introduced to encourage people to get the Covid-19 vaccine; however, it seems any direct impact has been limited to date.
During a press conference, Governor Roy Cooper said the number of vaccines administered has not increased “significantly yet.”
The Governor hoped that offering a $1m jackpot to those who receive the vaccine would encourage locals to get the jab.
With the lottery running for more than a week, the number of vaccinated North Carolinians increased from 54% to 55%.
Governor Cooper said: “We’re hoping over the next few days and few weeks we will see some significant improvement in our numbers.
“We’re trying to find everything we can, even keeping steady would be a positive thing.”
Similar incentives have been introduced by other states; but unlike North Carolina, they have reported a positive increase in vaccination rates.
For example, vaccination rates in Ohio increased by 33% in just one week. Similarly, the $116.5m lottery in California resulted in a rise in vaccines the following week.
According to the California Department of Health, the number of people who received at least one vaccine increased by 89,800 – just one day after the lottery was announced.
Data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) shows that only 39% of North Carolina’s population is fully vaccinated.
Further data from JHU shows that, nationally, around 45% of the US population is fully vaccinated.
Gambling Insider delivers the latest industry news, in-depth features, and operator reviews that you can trust. Our team combines rigorous editorial standards with decades of specialized expertise to ensure accuracy and fairness. We are committed to delivering clear, impartial, and dependable coverage across the global gambling sector.
