Learning how to write comprehensive sweepstakes or contest rules is one of the most important steps that you need to take before you launch your promotion. It protects you in the event that something goes wrong and also ensures that your promotion is in compliance with the law.
Here are the sections to include as you draft your sweepstakes or contest rules:
Eligibility
Your eligibility section of your official rules should specify the age and residency restrictions for your contest. In order to ensure that your contest or sweepstakes complies with all federal, state, and local laws make sure to include the phrase “void where prohibited.”
How to Enter
It seems easy enough. However, if you want to make sure that you collect all of the information needed to award a prize, you need to specify in the contest rules that entrants must complete all required fields in order to successfully enter. Tell them exactly where and how to enter the required information.
Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE)
Every sweepstakes or contest must offer an alternative method of entry (AMOE), such as a mail-in option or online entry form. The online entry form is the most popular option because it allows entrants to sign up via a mobile browser on the spot.
With an online entry form, you can also collect additional data, such as basic demographic information, that would be too time-consuming to request via SMS.
Prize(s) and Prize Conditions
Provide the complete list of prizes that a winner will receive and explain the process of how the prize will be delivered. You should also mention any limitations on the prize, such as additional costs that the winner may have to cover that are not included in the prize.
Drawing and Notification
Explain how the winner(s) will be selected. For a contest, make sure that you are specific about all of the judging criteria for entries and rounds of judging that will take place.
Mention the date and methods that you will use to notify winners so that they will know what to expect.
Use of Data
This section should outline the privacy policy that governs the sweepstakes or contest. It should also detail the personal information will be collected from entrants and how it will be used.
Additional Limitations
Additional limitations that you should make sure to include in the official rules are disclaimers that state that you have the right to terminate or change the contest at anytime. You also want to mention that you have the right to decide to investigate cheating or tampering before selecting a winner or awarding a prize.
Arbitration
The arbitration section should explain how any disputes should be resolved and the location (state) in which the arbitration should take place if it escalates to a court of law.
Sponsor of the Contest
You should make it clear that your business, not a social media platform or the SMS marketing company, is the sponsor of the contest. Make sure to include the full address of your company.
Include the Abbreviated Rules
Abbreviated rules are required in several states and should be included in any advertising copy that promotes the sweepstakes or contest. It must mention the sponsor, start and end dates for the promotion, a list of who is eligible and not eligible to participate, a disclosure of where the promotion is prohibited, and a “no purchase necessary” statement.
