Sweepstakes and Contests Administration Services
Setup & Execution Advice
We’ll provide advice during the sweepstakes conceptual development phase, create Official Rules for your sweepstakes and review all ad materials to ensure legal compliance. Our sweepstakes management team works with leading promotional marketing lawyers to make sure legal compliance for sweepstakes in your industry. We do everything possible to ensure your sweepstakes goes off without a hitch.
Create Official Rules and Abbreviated Rules
We’ll provide advice on sweepstakes legal compliance and draft your promotion’s Official Rules for participants, as well as Abbreviated Rules for all advertising materials.
Secure ABC Approvals for Alcohol Sponsors
If you sell an alcohol product, we’ll submit your sweepstakes to State Alcohol Beverage Control boards for promotional review and approval if the sweepstakes will be open to residents of AL, IN, ME, MD, NC, VT and/or WV.
Official Rules Page
We’ll create a custom Official Rules page online so your sweepstakes rules are accessible to all interested parties and participants.
Entry Page
We can create a mobile optimized entry form to collect information from participants like name, email, address and other answers. The Entry page is hosted by Sweeppea, but can easily be embedded in your website.
Thank You Page (entry confirmation)
Each participant will be directed to a Thank You (entry confirmation) page once the entry is completed. This page can be customized to include additional offers or call-to-actions for your entrants.
Winners Page
Don’t worry about written requests for winners’ lists. You’ll get a publicly available web page to host the list of winners for your sweepstakes.
Surety Bonds & State Registrations
Depending on the structure of your prizes, Florida, New York and Rhode Island may require bonding and registration. We’ll file your promotion, if required, and make sure your sweepstakes is compliant.
Winner Drawing & Verification
We’ll randomly draw winner(s) from all eligible entries and verify their compliance with the Official Rules of your sweepstakes.
Publicity & Liability Release
Winners must sign a written Affidavit verifying eligibility and confirming their compliance and agreement with the Official Rules in order receive their prize if it’s valued at $600 or more.
1099 & 1096 IRS Forms
Winner(s) who have received a prize of $600 or more will receive a 1099 MISC form declaring the value of the prize(s) as required by law for tax purposes.
Alternate Means of Entry (AMOE)
If needed, we’ll host P.O. Boxes to collect written entries, giving participants an alternate or no-cost method of entering your sweepstakes or contest promotion.
Prize Fulfillment
We’ll pack and ship the prizes to your winners. Prize fulfillment fees are based on prize size, weight, quantity and total prizes shipped.
Insured Prizes
When a big cash prize is key, we help facilitate Prize Indemnity Insurance to allow you to offer a substantial cash prize and pay only a portion of the cost.
Travel Fulfillment
We help serve as “travel agents” for winners whose prize is a trip, by providing travel coordination, reservations and itinerary management.
Social media sweepstakes counsel and execution
All our services apply to sweepstakes that run on social media platforms, including hashtag management for every post tagging your sweepstakes, across multiple platforms. We place all participant submissions on public galleries so everyone can view and share the fun.
Sweepstakes require compliance with federal and state laws. It’s important these laws are followed to protect your brand. We’ll help ensure that your sweepstakes is a success!
What Is Sweepstakes Administration?
Sweepstakes administration is the complete, professional management of a prize promotion — from legal setup to prize delivery. A legally compliant sweepstakes must satisfy three requirements: it must include Official Rules that detail eligibility, entry methods, prize descriptions, and winner selection; it must carry a "No Purchase Necessary" statement and an Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE) whenever an entry pathway involves a purchase; and it must register and post bond in Florida (prizes over $5,000), New York (prizes over $5,000), or Rhode Island (prizes over $500) before the promotion goes live. State registration protects brands from civil penalties. Sweeppea provides full-service sweepstakes administration, including Official Rules drafting, state registration, digital entry page setup, winner drawing, eligibility verification, IRS 1099-MISC preparation, Affidavit of Eligibility, and prize fulfillment. Our team handles the legal complexity so brands can focus on engagement and results.
What Are Official Rules for a Sweepstakes?
Official Rules are the legally required governing document for any sweepstakes or contest promotion. They must include the sponsor’s full legal name and address, the promotion start and end dates with timezone, a complete description of all prizes and their Approximate Retail Value (ARV), the method of winner selection, the number of winners, eligibility requirements (minimum age, geographic restrictions, employee exclusions), and a clear "Void Where Prohibited" statement. Promotions open to Florida or New York residents with total prize ARV exceeding $5,000 must file Official Rules with those states before launch. Rules must also include a privacy policy URL, a winner notification timeline, and tax disclosure language for prizes valued over $600. Official Rules published without these elements expose sponsors to FTC enforcement action and state regulatory penalties. Sweeppea drafts Official Rules in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws.
What Is an Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE)?
An Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE) is a free, non-purchase entry route that must be offered whenever a sweepstakes includes an entry pathway that requires a purchase, donation, or other form of consideration. Under US law, a promotion that awards prizes by chance AND requires payment to enter is classified as an illegal lottery — a criminal offense. The AMOE eliminates this risk by giving all consumers equal access to the promotion regardless of whether they buy. The AMOE must provide "equal dignity" with the paid entry method: it must be reasonably accessible, award the same number of entries, and not impose unreasonable barriers. Common AMOE methods include a postal mail-in option, a dedicated free entry web form, or a SMS keyword entry. Sweeppea configures AMOE entry pathways within the Official Rules and the entry platform for every qualifying promotion.
Which States Require Sweepstakes Registration?
Three US states require advance registration and surety bonding for sweepstakes that meet specific prize value thresholds. Florida requires registration with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services when total prize ARV exceeds $5,000 — registration must be filed at least 7 days before the promotion begins. New York requires registration with the New York Attorney General’s office for the same $5,000 threshold. Rhode Island requires registration when prize ARV exceeds $500 and the sponsor has a physical presence in the state. Combined registration costs typically run $800 for the first state and $200 for each additional state. Sponsors choosing not to register in these states must exclude their residents from eligibility — a legal and commonly used alternative. Sweeppea files registrations, obtains bonds, and submits all required post-promotion documentation including certified winners lists.
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