Promotion Law Guides
Practical, citation-linked explainers for the everyday promotion decisions. Every guide points to the federal baseline, the state pages that matter, and the compliance tools.
Sweepstakes, contests, and lotteries: know the difference before you launch
A promotion is an illegal lottery only when it combines Prize + Chance + Consideration. Remove one and it becomes lawful. Here is the test, with links to the state pages that matter.
Read guide →The "No Purchase Necessary" rule and the free entry path (AMOE)
If you let people enter by buying something, you must also offer a genuinely free path with equal dignity. Skip it and a sweepstakes becomes an illegal lottery.
Read guide →When states require registration or bonding for prize promotions
Most states let you run a compliant sweepstakes freely, but New York, Florida, Rhode Island, and Arizona add registration or bonding once prizes cross a threshold. Check each before you launch.
Read guide →Prize taxes: what winners and sponsors owe
Prize winnings are ordinary taxable income. Sponsors generally file Form 1099-MISC for prizes of $600 or more; winners owe the tax regardless. Plan for it in your rules.
Read guide →What your official rules must contain
Official rules are what turn a marketing idea into a defensible promotion. Here is the standard skeleton — No Purchase Necessary, AMOE, eligibility, dates, prizes, odds, and sponsor.
Read guide →Skill vs. chance: why it decides if you need an AMOE
A contest (skill-judged) keeps consideration and drops chance, so it usually needs no free-entry path. A sweepstakes (random) must remove consideration. Get the distinction right.
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