Texas Man Gets Free Lotto Ticket for Getting Vaxxed, Wins $1,000,000

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A man from Arlington, Texas decided to get his second vaccine dose while visiting family in Arkansas. As an incentive, he received a $20 lottery ticket and won a million dollars.

Initially, Gary Smith couldn't believe his good fortune. From UPI:

Smith said he couldn't believe it when he scratched off the $1 Million Spectacular ticket and revealed the $1 million top prize.

 

"I know they're lying," Smith recalled thinking when he revealed the prize. "I couldn't believe it."

Smith seems like a pretty wholesome and deserving dude. The first person he called to tell about his winnings was his grandmother.

"My grandmother was the first person that I told about my win," Smith said via UPI. "We both were in total shock! She immediately wanted to leave to get her another ticket."

The incentive was provided to folks in Arkansas who were able to choose between a lottery ticket or a $20 gift certificate for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Smith says he will use the money to pay bills, help family, and fund his upcoming wedding and honeymoon. That's really sweet.

In case you have family in Arkansas, too, here are some of the incentive details:

... individuals can be vaccinated at any vaccine clinic across the state. To claim an incentive, they should bring their proof of vaccination card to the LHU [Arkansas Department of Health Local Health Units] that is most convenient to them to receive the incentive option of their choice.

I just wish Texas would have done something this fun when I got my jabs. Perhaps Texas could adopt a similar program to get some vaccine stragglers on board. Of course, the biggest "win" when you get your vaccine is not getting full-blown COVID-19. I had it -- trust me, you don't want it.