Sweepstakes 101 — How to Enter, Win, and Stay Safe Online
Everyone likes sweepstakes and the potential to win prizes and cash for free. But most people don’t know how sweepstakes actually work. There are very specific legal requirements about how sweepstakes should operate. Anything outside of these and it is not considered a legal sweepstakes. “Sweepstakes” and “contests” are very different. A sweepstakes is free to enter and requires no skill, it’s pure luck whether you win or not. On the other hand, a contest requires some type of game or skill to win, and can feature an entry fee. Entering sweepstakes is thrilling and exciting, but you have to be careful to avoid scams. In this article, I’ll show you how to find and enter sweepstakes, maximize your chances to win and stay safe while sweeping.
What Exactly Is A Sweepstakes?
Let’s take a look at sweepstakes, contests and lotteries to understand the differences between them.
Sweepstakes
By law, a sweepstakes is always 100% free to enter with no fees. In addition, a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. The winner of a sweepstakes is chosen completely randomly among all the eligible entrants and the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. The sponsoring company may collect personal information, which is allowed under the law. Any deviation from these features means it is not a legal sweepstakes. Prizes can range from large cash awards, like the Moolastakess $5 Million giveaway, small cash prizes, like our $50 daily sweeps, to real-life products like cars or vacations. There are many sweepstakes that are available to enter and later we’ll explain the best ways to find and enter sweeps.
Contests
Contests involve a merit-based award whereby entrants are judged based on criteria set by the sponsoring company. Often this involves contestants submitting artwork, photos, essays or some other creative item. Judging is done either by a panel of experts or audience voting. Sometimes an entry fee may be required.
Lotteries
A lottery is a pay to play drawing typically run by government entities. There are several forms of lotteries in the US. First are scratch-off games which are purchased by consumers and have the potential to win cash prizes both large and small. The second type of lottery is a number draw where entrants pay to choose their numbers from a given set (for example 54 numbers). For the prize drawing, the winning numbers are chosen and prizes are awarded to people that match a certain number of numbers. If someone matches all the numbers, they win the big jackpot, and if no one matches, the jackpot grows for the next drawing.
How to Find Legitimate Sweepstakes
There are literally thousands of sweepstakes, most of which can be found online. How do you navigate this and find the best sweepstakes to enter? There are several ways of finding the optimal sweepstakes to enter. One technique is to search for sweepstakes for big, well known brands. Many products and services offer their customers sweepstakes as a way to keep them excited and interested. Pick out your favorite brands and search, for example “Walmart sweepstakes”, “Coke sweepstakes”, “Target sweepstakes”, etc. Another great technique is to use a sweepstakes directory to find sweepstakes both large and small. These sites provide listings in a variety of ways - by expiration date,, by prize amount and by entry frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, 1x, etc.). You can also simply search for “sweepstakes” or "giveaway" and see what comes up.
When searching for sweepstakes, it’s important to look out for potential scams. There are several steps you can take to avoid scam or fake sweepstakes. First, look out for red flags that might signal a scam. Never ever pay a processing fee or other money to enter a sweepstakes, that’s illegal. Second, look out for suspicious email addresses or web domains. Make sure it is always from a real company email, not gmail, and the website is real, like moolastakes.com. Also, make sure there are official rules and be sure to check them to find out the eligibility requirements and sponsoring company information.
How To Enter Sweepstakes The Right Way
If you’re entering a sweeps, you’ll want to make sure you do it correctly so that you are eligible to win prizes. Always read the rules to check for eligibility requirements and make sure you qualify to win. This is a detailed list of who and who isn’t eligible to win, including age and geographic restrictions. The rules also spell out the entry mechanisms, entry limitations and entry deadlines. Only enter through the official links of the website, do not enter anywhere else or you may not actually be entering. Finally when entering, make sure to double check your personal information, especially your email address since that’s likely how you’ll be notified that you won.
When you start sweeping, you’ll soon find yourself entering and managing multiple, maybe even hundreds of giveaways. There are tricks you can take to help manage your sweeps entries:
- Use a dedicated email address just for your sweepstakes entries
- Use a spreadsheet or app to keep track of all your entries and deadlines
- Don’t use bots to enter as that may disqualify you
- Make a calendar of entries based on frequency allowances (1x daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
How To Maximize Your Entry Chances
While you can’t change the odds of winning, you can take steps to increase the number of entries you get. The more you enter, the more chances you have. It is still 100% luck whether you win or not, but you can be strategic about your entries. Enter regularly based on the rules, whether it’s daily, weekly or monthly – make sure to enter as many times as you are allowed. Follow brands and influencers on social media for exclusive giveaways only available to followers. And look out for local or members only giveaways from your community or local retail stores. Finally, follow and read discussion groups and online communities focused on sharing information, for example on ReddIt.
How To Stay Safe
There are plenty of scam sweepstakes designed to steal money or personal information. Here are some tips on what to look out for:
- Emails that say “You’ve Won!” and ask for a processing or tax fee
- Fake check scams where they send you a prize, but the check later bounces
- Impersonation of a real company or celebrity. Always make sure the email and web address matches
- Avoid sharing Social Security Number, credit cards or bank information
- Don’t click on suspicious links, very before clicking
- If you do encounter a scam, report it to the FTC or Better Business Bureau
What To Do If You Win
Congratulations, you just won a prize! If you do win, make sure it is legitimate before you respond. The email you receive should be from the giveaway sponsor with a matching domain (@company.com). It should spell out the prize you won and give you options on how to redeem your prize. A real sweepstakes will NEVER ask for money in order to claim your prize. The prize should match the prize that was originally promoted, it is different, be cautious. For prizes over $600, you will need to fill out an IRS Form 1099, and that’s ok as long as you’ve verified that the prize is legitimate. And make sure to keep copies of all correspondence in case there are problems or issues with redeeming your prize.
The world of sweeping can be exciting and rewarding! There are so many real, legitimate sweepstakes available for you to win prizes. Make sure you’re always entering a real giveaway from a real sponsor. By looking out for the warning signals of scam sweepstakes, you can stay safe and feel comfortable entering to win. If you win, make sure to verify that it is a real win. And use resources to find the best sweeps and manage all your entries. Good luck!