I see giveaways requiring purchases all of the time. How are those legal?

[badsha00313]

Raffles: Raffles are giveaways in which participants can purchase tickets to participate. Also similar to a lottery, the more tickets purchased in a raffle, the better odds of winning. However, if you’re a for-profit business, raffles are strictly off-limits. They’re only legal when non-profit organizations use them as a means to raise money.

Look under the cap, scratch-off card, or as I mentioned previously, peel phone number lead Monopoly pieces off of french fries. All of these options seem to require a purchase in order to participate. So, what gives?

Read the fine print. In order for a sweepstakes to stay in compliance with the law, there must be an Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE) to the giveaway that does not require a purchase. Usually, this will entail mailing in an entry or even calling a hotline. In the case of McDonald’s Monopoly game, I was able to find their AMOE to show you an example.