Telling The Difference Between Sweepstakes And Contests
Many websites on the internet offer great prize thru sweepstakes, contests, instant games and lottos. That is why it is easy to puzzle them and use these terms equivalently. But sweepstakes are not the same as contests. The difference is kind of simple.
Contests require an element of skill. You deliver the goods, be it a poem, an essay or a recipe and you win if you ‘re good enough. Of course, the product you deliver is generally employed by the promoter; failing which there could be an entry fee for collusion.
Sweepstakes on the other hand give away prizes solely on chance. They’re winnings of luck; no element of talent comes in. A random winner is picked from the entries and offered anything from a television set to an opportunity to tour a favored holiday destination or massive money payments. Prizes depend on the promoter and the item they ‘re promoting and may change from basic items like t-shirts or perfumes to vehicles, houses, travel deals and massive cash rewards.
In the U. S. , sweepstakes are legal while lotteries are not. Three common elements outline both sweepstakes and lotteries. They’re : Prizes/Chance winners/Compensation
To avoid becoming an illegal lotto, a sweepstake must ensure that it does not have all the three elements. It can have any 2, but not every one of them. Obviously, the 1st 2 elements can’t be avoided so that the third one is left out. That is why bonafide sweepstakes NEVER ask for an entry fee or compensation. In short , free sweepstakes are legit, paid ones are fraudulent! Sweepstakes cannot even demand a portion of your winnings.
So, what are just some of the things you need to keep an eye out for while entering sweepstakes? First, check out if the sweepstake is applicable to your location. Some locations like Quebec, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Florida are thought to be void locations, meaning if you belong to this locality, you cannot enter.
Secondly, find if your age fits the factors of the particular sweepstake. Most sweepstakes are open to the over eighteen and over 21 categories. Neverthless some promoters allow kids over the age of 13 to take part under adult supervision.
Lastly, see if there is any restriction on the number of entries you can send in. For example, some promotions are single-entry contests; others let you enter once daily. Many allow unlimited entries. Frequency depends entirely on the sponsor. You can ascertain it by going thru the Rules section.
Remember, before you enter any contest, it’s important to test out the guidelines governing it. Why? It might be a pain to fill out all of the information and then discover at the bottom of the page ( or when you hit the submit button ) that you are not eligible for whatever reason, isn’t it?
Tags: Internet Sweepstaking, Sweepstake Advantage, Sweepstakes
