Recently, we shared an article on specific Sweepstakes Laws in Northern U.S. States. In this article, we’ll explore specific rules and regulations for all Southern U.S. States. For the purposes of this article, the Southern U.S. States include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. NOTE: This list is NOT inclusive of all the rules, regulations, and laws regarding promotions. Always consult your sweepstakes administrator before hosting a sweepstakes.
If you have not read our previous article on the Northern U.S. State Sweepstakes regulations, here is a refresher on what a sweepstakes means and the current regulations for all sweepstakes in the United States.
DEFINITION OF A SWEEPSTAKES
A sweepstakes, unlike a contest, is a game of chance that requires no skill. Winners are randomly selected.
Unlike a lottery, sweepstakes can be run by individual corporations and are not required to be federally or state sanctioned. Also dissimilar to lotteries, sweepstakes require no purchase to enter. In fact, it is illegal to require purchase to enter. One exemption to this rule is if there is a free Alternative Means of Entry (AMOE) in addition to a purchase entry option. An example of this would be if a fast food chain gave away game pieces with purchase of a meal, but also allowed a free mail-in option to participate.
Common examples of sweepstakes include online giveaways or drawings, in-store giveaways, and instant-win sweepstakes.