Reference

Questions people actually ask

Is this gambling?

A free sweepstakes or a genuine skill contest is not a state lottery. Paid raffles sit next door, and spending can still get out of hand. If it has stopped feeling optional, that is the fact that matters. The helpline 1-800-GAMBLER is a better door than another ticket.

Do I have to buy the product?

Not if it is a real sweepstakes. Look for no purchase necessary and the mail-in or other free method. Raffles are a different product.

Why have I not won yet?

Because most entries do not win. A quiet month is the ordinary month, especially if you have been entering famous prizes. Read realistic odds before you invent a personal curse.

Are winnings taxed?

Yes. US prizes are generally ordinary income, including gift cards and merchandise, whether or not a 1099 arrives. The careful version is the tax page, and it is not personal advice.

Can I enter if I live outside the US?

Only if that promotion says so. Many are limited to legal US residents, sometimes including D.C. and excluding territories, or the other way around. The rules beat any assumption.

How many should I enter a day?

As many as you can enter properly inside the time you chose. For a lot of people that is three to eight, not thirty.

A company says I won but I must pay a fee. Did I?

No. That is the shape of a scam. Do not pay. Details on the scams page.

Will these guides tell me what to enter today?

No. Dates go stale. Use the directory for today’s forms, and these pages for the judgement around them.