Federal Sweepstakes and Contest Laws
In the United States, sweepstakes promotions are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the United States Postal Service, and the United States Department of Justice. These organizations have come up with some nation-wide rules relating to sweepstakes and contests, like:
- Winners are required to pay taxes on the prizes they win
- Sponsors are required to issue a 1099 form to winners who receive a prize valued over $600
- Firearms awarded as prizes must be transferred through a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer
Additionally, the U.S. has strict laws barring private lotteries, so in order to be legal, sweepstakes and contests have to differentiate themselves from lotteries. A lottery is defined as a promotion that is offering prizes that have value, that has winners chosen at random, and that has an element of consideration. To avoid being classified as an illegal lottery in any state, at least one of these elements has to be missing.
The state of Connecticut forbids advertising a sweepstakes if there is any condition or restriction attached to the receipt of any prize a person wins in the sweepstakes, unless the condition or restriction to claim the prize does not require any purchase, payment of a fee, or any other consideration.
Additionally, no one can advertise a contest where a prize with a fair market value of over two hundred dollars is awarded to a winner if participants are required to pay an entry or judging fee or are solicited to purchase a good or service designed to assist the participant in winning the game of skill.
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Disclaimer: This information is not complete and only aims to display the most prominent state-specific deviation from Federal laws. It is for general reference purposes only and is not to be considered legal advice or opinion.