Sweepstake

[5] Today, sweepstakes in the United States are used as marketing promotions to reward existing consumers and to draw attention to a product.

Firms that rely on sweepstakes for attracting customers, such as Publishers Clearing House and Reader's Digest, have also found that the more involved the entry process, the more entrants.

The US, Canada, and individual US states all have laws covering sweepstakes, so there are special rules depending on where the entrant lives.

Notably, sweepstakes in Canada, Australia, and several European countries require entrants to answer a skill testing question such as solving an elementary-school-level mathematical puzzle, or answering a simple general knowledge question, making it (in theory, at least) a contest of skill in order to overcome requirements that would classify sweepstakes as a form of gambling under their country's legal definition.

Common examples include competitions where entrants are required to submit a photo or an answer to a question in 25 words or less.

The American Family Publishers sweepstakes used paid advertisements during NBC's The Tonight Show to announce its grand prize winners (for many years, its celebrity spokesman was Ed McMahon).

One of the most popular has been the McDonald's Monopoly "instant-win" game-piece promotion (To satisfy the "no purchase necessary" requirement, free game pieces are made available on request through the US mail).

Sweepstakes parlors, which began to appear in the US around 2005, are establishments that offer chances to win cash prizes as a promotion for a product, usually either a telephone card or Internet access.

Sweepstakes casinos use a similar model, offering promotional real money winning opportunities by playing casino-style games online.

Sweepstakes must be carefully planned to comply with local laws and curtail forms of entrant fraud and abuse.

Before home computers were popular, a common method of entry was a mailed, plain 3" × 5" index card with the entrant's name and address.