New Mexico is betting huge that money can persuade individuals to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, offering the biggest single cash prize among the growing number of states staging lottery games to promote inoculationsBy CEDAR ATTANASIO Associated Press/ Report for AmericaJune 1, 2021, 9:16 PM – 2 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleSANTA FE, N.M.– New Mexico wager big Tuesday that cash can convince individuals to get immunized against the coronavirus, using the biggest single money reward among the growing number of states staging lottos to promote inoculations.Vaccinated homeowners who register on New Mexicos “Vax 2 the Max” website can win prizes from a pool amounting to $10 million that consists of a $5 million grand prize, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham revealed. California previously provided the biggest single reward of $ 1.5 million from a total lottery swimming pool of $116 million.The reward cash provided by New Mexico would go far in the state thats one of the poorest in the country, ranking 48th in per capita income of around $45,800, according to the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Economic Analysis.Lujan Grisham said the lotto program is funded by federal pandemic relief money.Starting next week, New Mexico authorities will draw prizes of $250,000 in each of four various areas of the state, as well as smaller sized prizes varying from lottery “scratcher” tickets to in-state holiday plans and museum tickets. The $5 million prize illustration will be held in August.To be registered for the drawings, homeowners should sign up online at vax2themaxnm.org, which is different from the states vaccine scheduling site.