A Look Back: Entering Sweepstakes In 2002

It has been more than 10 years since I began entering online sweepstakes and contests, and a lot has changed since the first time I tried it. Even though I took many breaks from this hobby, my commitment to it is solid. I was able to witness many changes over the past 10 years, and will talk about sweepstakes in 2002 versus now. Here are the main differences to sweepstakes and contests from 2002 to 2013: High speed internet is part of a sweepstaker’s basic arsenal in 2013. I’ll come clean...

The Ethics Of Selling Sweepstakes Prizes

One of the most contentious aspects of the sweepstakes and contest hobby is the controversy of selling prize wins. Those who’ve been playing the games for a while know already that winning stuff you don’t need, like or want is normal. Sponsors often run giveaways with many levels and types of prizes, and it’s common to win one of the prizes you didn’t want, while entering for the prize or prizes you did want. Then there’s the choice that many make to enter to win prizes that...

Tips On Taxes And Sweepstakes Wins

Tax season is upon us, making this a good time to pass along relevant information about sweepstakes prize wins and taxes. Most of this information is targeted to US residents. Canadian sweepstakers abide by different laws, and I’ll give a few details on that as well. All sweepstakes wins are considered income, and they are taxed by the US government the same as other types of prize of chance wins. Examples are lotteries and wins at the casino. The sweepstakes prize sponsor is supposed to provide a...

Do You Care What People Think Of Your Sweepstakes Hobby?

The word seems to be spreading “out there” that most sweepstakes and contests are legitimate and not “a scam” as generally believed years ago. Blame the popularity of social media for this. It seems that every large company has a fan page and is running a sweepstakes these days. When you see brand name companies running giveaways, it’s pretty obvious they’re trying to give away prizes and not scam the public. Recent statistics show that about 1/3 of Internet users...

It’s Illegal To Charge To Enter A Sweepstakes

No matter how big or small a company may be, it’s still illegal for for-profit companies to demand a purchase to enter a sweepstakes. Over the years, I have seen companies of all sizes violating this law, which falls under federal consumer trade law as administered by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). It’s relatively rare, but this happens often enough to keep me annoyed. The biggest and most persistent violators are (as of press time) some, but not all cable and other media companies. They...