Talk:Sweepstake

There is much good information here, but it would be helpful to add a section about fraudulent sweepstakes. Most of the sweepstakes on the web are legitimate. It helps to visit a website like SweepsPlay.com or SweepsAdvantage.com that pre-screen sweepstakes. However, as most sweepers know, once you start sweeping, your email will starting collecting fake win notices. Of course no one wants to throw away the chance at a million dollars, so how do you know whether or not it's real?

Here are some tips for spotting fraudulent sweepstakes "wins":

• Did you enter the sweepstakes? If you didn't enter, you didn't win. Don't believe notices that tell you that entries were put in on your behalf.

• Is the 'win' from an overseas sweepstakes? No one wins the Irish Lottery - it's a fake.

• Does the sponsor ask you for fees of any kind to 'release' your prize? Never pay for a win. If it's real, the prize is yours and you don't pay anything.

• Does the sponsor ask for bank account or social security information? Never give out this information! Only scammers ask for it.

• Should you cash the mysterious check that shows up in the mail? Only if you know where it came from. If it's not from a legitimate sponsor, it's from a scammer who will get your bank account information from the cancelled check.

• Does the company contact for the big cash prize have a hotmail or yahoo.uk email address? If a company is big enough to award a giant prize, it's big enough to have its own email addresses. Don't trust wins that come from web-based email addresses.

Tip: Seasoned sweepers advise setting up an email account that you use only for sweepstakes entries. It will keep your personal email separate from your sweepstakes email.

SweepsAdvantage (talk) 23:45, 26 July 2009 (UTC)SweepsAdvantage

This article does not cover - HOW sweepstakes work - i.e.: A prize of say $1000 would have 200 entrants paying $5 to enter the game and a single winner being pulled from a hat...

It would be great if this very basic concept was covered in this article. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Chateauxc (talk • contribs) 21:16:56, August 19, 2007 (UTC).

There is important information redarding Tennessee residents that was removed so what is left is partially incorrect. Tennessee residents CAN enter liquor & wine sweeps by mail they just can't enter online. I am a TN resident & sweeper 11yrs+. I win a lot and I know the law. Tncat (talk)TNcatTncat (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 03:23, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

yikes!

This article has gone downhill in terms of Wikipedia format. It originally had a fairly decent general introduction:

A sweepstake is technically a lottery in which the prize is financed through the tickets sold. In the United States the word has become associated with promotions where prizes are given away for free. In other words, they specifically do not require a purchase to enter (these are called prize draws in the United Kingdom). Sweepstakes sponsors are very careful to disassociate themselves from any suggestion that players must pay to enter, as this would bring them into conflict with lottery laws. The popularity of the term sweepstakes may derive from the Irish Sweepstakes, which was very popular throughout the world from the 1930s to the 1980s.

Now it starts out with a U.S. specific paragraph more suited to the middle of the article:

In the United States consumer sales promotions known as sweepstakes or simply sweeps (both single and plural) have become associated with marketing promotions targeted generating enthusiasm and an incentive toward action among customers by enticing consumers to submit free entries into drawings of chance (and not skill) that are tied to product or service awareness wherein the featured prizes are given away by sponsoring companies. Prizes can vary in value from less than one dollar to more than one million U.S. dollars and can be in the form of cash, cars, homes, electronics, etc.

I'm inclined to change it back. Any objections? --- Dhodges (talk) 19:05, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

I have a problem with the first sentence. Sweepstakes are not lotteries, as they do not require you to pay to play (as explained later in the article). Other than that, it looks good. Trvsdrlng (talk) 07:20, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

You've missed my point. In the U.S., sweepstakes are not financed by selling tickets, as they are free to enter. Giveaways such as the one described are called raffles, at least in the States. Trvsdrlng (talk) 00:11, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

The distinction is between what the word actually means and the popular meaning that has been adopted by the operators of such prize draws. -Dhodges (talk) 06:19, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Fair enough. I can live with the way it's written now. Thanks for putting up with my complaining. :-) Trvsdrlng (talk) 18:25, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

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