Many websites online offer enormous loot through sweepstakes, contests, instant games and lottos. That is why it is easy to confuse them and use these terms interchangeably. But sweepstakes are n’t the same as contests. The difference is quite straightforward.
Contests require afactor of skill. You deliver the goods, be it a poem, an essay or a recipe and you win if you ‘re adequate. Naturally, the product you deliver is generally employed by the promoter; failing which there may be an entry fee for collaboration.
Sweepstakes on the other hand give away prizes solely on chance. They are prize of luck; no element of skill comes in. A random winner is picked from the entries and offered anything from a TV set to a chance to tour a favored holiday destination or huge cash payments. Prizes rely on the promoter and the item they ‘re promoting and may change from basic items like t-shirts or perfumes to automobiles, houses, travel deals and huge cash rewards.
In the US, sweepstakes are legal while lotteries aren’t. Three common elements define both sweepstakes and lotteries. They are : Prizes/Chance winners/Compensation
To avoid becoming an illegal lottery, a sweepstake must ensure that it doesn’t have all the three elements. It can have any two, but not each one of them. Obviously, the first two elements can’t be evaded so that the third one is left out. That is why legitimate sweepstakes NEVER ask for an entry fee or compensation. In short , free sweepstakes are legitimate, paid ones are fraudulent! Sweepstakes can’t even demand a little of your prize.
So, what are a selection of the things you want 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 can’t 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 permit kids over the age of 13 to take part under adult supervision.
Ultimately, see whether there is any restriction on the amount of entries you can send in. For example, some promotions are single-entry contests; others allow you to enter once daily. Many permit unlimited entries. Frequency depends totally on the sponsor. You can discern it by going through the Rules section.
Remember, before you enter any contest, it’s important to test out the rules governing it. Why? It might be a pain to fill out all the information and then discover at the base of the page ( or when you hit the submit button ) that you aren’t eligible for who knows what reason, isn’t it?
