Over the past 18 years, I have been very fortunate to represent several of what I call “Mega Sponsors” of sweepstakes and contests. My definition of a Mega Sponsor is a company that sponsors more than 50 sweepstakes or contests in a year. READ MORE
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Read this before you co-sponsor a sweepstakes or contest
February 20, 2015
Quite often a company will see an opportunity to team with another company to create a sweepstakes or contest that will benefit both of them individually. For example, a manufacturer of insect repellent and the owner of a fishing resort both target the same customers but are not competitors. READ MORE
Sweepstakes bonds 101: An interview with a bond broker
October 27, 2014
One little-understood aspect of sweepstakes law are surety bonds, which are required to conduct sweepstakes in New York and Florida. For more insight on why sweepstakes sponsors need bonds and how the bonding process works, I turned to Marcia Cesafsky, a highly experienced bond broker who serves as Senior Broker of Specialty Surety for Aon Risk Solutions. READ MORE
Hap Burke joins Thompson Coburn’s Sweepstakes and Contest group
April 7, 2014
A partner at Thompson Coburn for more than 15 years, Hap focuses his practice on a broad range of corporate and transactional matters. He represents a wide variety of clients, including companies in the gaming industry. READ MORE
Abbreviated sweepstakes rules: Don’t give them short shrift
December 11, 2013
You couldn’t live in the United States very long without at some point seeing abbreviated rules for a sweepstakes. They are usually found in the fine print at the bottom of an ad, sign, email message, bottle top, or banner, and almost always begin with the words “NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.” READ MORE
Sandra Grauschopf interview, Part Three: Vote farming, fair play, and how to create the best sweepstakes possible
September 27, 2013
This week we’ve been talking with Sandra Grauschopf, a freelance writer and sweepstakes expert who manages About.com’s sweepstakes site and its forum for avid “sweepers.” In Part One and Part Two of this interview, Sandra gave us a variety of unique insights on her favorite types of promotions, and the most frequent mistakes she sees companies making in their efforts to market sweepstakes to potential customers. READ MORE
Q&A with About.com sweepstakes expert Sandra Grauschopf, Part One
September 25, 2013
The sweepstakes world can be pretty evenly divided into two parts: The companies sponsoring sweepstakes, and the consumers who participate in them. Rarely do you have someone with a foot in both worlds, but Sandra Grauschopf does just that. READ MORE
Do sweepstakes and contests sponsors have to award all prizes?
June 11, 2013
Most people would think that giving the prizes away in a sweepstakes or contest would be the easiest and most enjoyable part of being a sponsor. While in most instances that is correct, there are times when giving a prize away can be very difficult or maybe even impossible. READ MORE
Contest insurance, part two: Protecting your payout
February 27, 2013
Part 1 of this series discussed how important it is to have contest insurance if the promotion has an expensive prize. It also warned that there are scammers who will sell you insurance but refuse to pay if someone wins the contest. READ MORE
Consult this checklist before promoting your next sweepstakes
August 22, 2012
Any businesses that promote sweepstakes should be just as vigilant about double-checking all elements of their promotions before releasing them to the general public. To that end, I’ve created a checklist of 12 of the most important things to look for in these types of promotions. READ MORE
5 pitfalls of refer-a-friend sweepstakes options
July 13, 2012
When I saw an ad for a new Mexican restaurant that opened near my office, I thought about trying it. When I received a 10% off coupon in the mail, I thought about it again. But when my brother told me it was now his favorite restaurant, I went there for lunch on that very same day. READ MORE
An exclusive interview with Florida’s top sweepstakes regulator – Part Two
June 26, 2012
In yesterday’s post, we met Liz Compton, the chief of the Bureau of Compliance at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. READ MORE
The IRS wins every sweepstakes
May 2, 2012
The IRS and state treasurers don’t care who wins the prize because they are guaranteed to receive a share of virtually every prize awarded. READ MORE