$10M in winnings, free N.M. travel packages, fishing licenses, state parks passes, other prizes available to residents getting COVID-19 shots

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Lottery on Tuesday announced New Mexico’s Vax 2 the Max Sweepstakes, a statewide vaccination incentive program that will make available $10 million in total prize money to New Mexicans who receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, among other prizes and awards throughout the summer.

New Mexicans can register and schedule their COVID-19 vaccinations at vaccinenm.org.

To be eligible for the cash sweepstakes, New Mexicans who receive or have already received their COVID-19 vaccinations must opt in to register and verify their personal and vaccination information at vax2themaxnm.org.

“Getting vaccinated is the right thing to do — for yourself, for your family and for your state,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “I’m excited to add a little fun to our nation-leading vaccination push. New Mexicans have sacrificed a lot over the last year. Now anyone who has stepped up to get their shots will have a chance to win some excellent prizes — please encourage your friends and neighbors to opt in for their chance to win big and to sign up for their shots as soon as possible!”

More than 55 percent of eligible New Mexicans have completed their vaccination series, according to the Department of Health. The state is hoping to reach 60 percent this month, after which point the state will graduate out of the color-coded county-by-county risk framework, and continue to increase toward at least 70 percent as a near-term goal.

VAX 2 THE MAX CASH SWEEPSTAKES

Vaccinated New Mexicans who have opted into the sweepstakes will be part of five weekly drawings beginning in the middle of June.

Each weekly drawing will award one $250,000 winner from each of the state’s four public health regions, for a total of $1 million in cash prizes each week. A grand prize of $5 million will be awarded at the conclusion of the sweepstakes, in early August, to one winner drawn from the statewide pool of vaccinated New Mexicans who have opted in to the sweepstakes.
The New Mexico Lottery will conduct the cash sweepstakes drawings on behalf of the Lujan Grisham administration.

“I’m pleased the New Mexico Lottery can assist the state in making these prizes available to New Mexicans getting their shots,” said Lottery Chief Executive David M. Barden. “Our organization is deeply experienced in operating fun, fair and exciting drawings, and we look forward to a successful sweepstakes.”

OTHER PRIZES AND AWARDS AT VACCINATION SITES

Beginning next week, New Mexicans receiving their vaccinations through providers who have partnered with the state vaccinenm.org registration system will be eligible to win assorted prizes. Winners will be selected at random. Prizes include:

• One of 18 in-state “staycation” travel packages, ranging in value from $600 to $1,100, including four nights of accommodations and gift cards to local businesses and experiences
• Fishing and hunting licenses
• Annual day-use passes for New Mexico State Parks
• Day-use passes for New Mexico state museums and cultural sites

In addition, beginning next week, the New Mexico Lottery will bring 10 “prize wheels” to providers who have partnered with the state registration system; these sites will be spread across the state. New Mexicans receiving vaccinations at these sites will be eligible for chance to win assorted prizes, including New Mexico Lottery tickets.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Winners will be required to produce their CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card upon claiming their prize.

Non-winning entries in the Vax 2 the Max Sweepstakes will carry over from one weekly drawing to the next. An individual may not win more than one $250,000 regional drawing. All eligible participants will be eligible for the final $5 million drawing.

To be eligible to win a prize, individuals must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the state of New Mexico. Employees of the New Mexico Lottery and the Office of the Governor, as well as any state employees appointed by the governor, and any members of these employees’ households, are not eligible to participate.

In order to be entered into a drawing, eligible individuals must opt in to the sweepstakes on the Vax 2 the Max website by 6:00 p.m. MST the evening before the drawing — the full schedule for the drawings will be disseminated ahead of time.

To read the full rules and regulations, visit vax2themaxnm.org and click “Rules“.

Funding for the Vax 2 the Max Sweepstakes comes from the state’s portion of American Rescue Plan stimulus. The U.S. Treasury Department last week confirmed in updated guidance that states may use stimulus funding for lotteries, cash payments and other incentive programs to boost vaccination rates.