Rule quick-reference decision card

Turn the site’s compliance data into a printable card: the three-element legality test, your state’s registration trigger, and a “violation → determination → required fix” ruling table. Nothing is invented here — every ruling comes from the site’s federal baseline and state records.

Your promotion

State

Type

Total prize value (ARV, $)

Entry requires a purchase / payment / something of value

Educational reference — not legal advice. Data retrieved 2026-08-16. Confirm with a qualified attorney and the relevant state Attorney General before running a promotion.

Decision card

Fix before launch — one or more elements fail

Prize	Present
Chance	Present
Consideration	Removed (free AMOE required)
State registration	Register with New York Department of State

New York: ARV $6,000 exceeds the $5,000 threshold (Total announced prize value over $5,000 (cumulative across all prizes).). A surety bond or trust equal to the total prize value is required. Filing: At least 30 days before the promotion begins (longest lead time of any state). Fee: $100 filing fee.

Source: N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 369-e — DOS Games of Chance Registration · retrieved 2026-08-16

Violation → determination → required fix

Every row below is drawn from the site’s federal baseline and state records — no rules are invented here. Retrieved 2026-08-16.

Entry requires a purchase, payment, or other consideration (chance-based).

Determination: Illegal lottery risk — Prize + Chance + Consideration combine.

Required fix: Remove the consideration element and offer a genuinely free, equal-dignity Alternate Method of Entry (same odds, same deadlines, same entry count).

Source: Federal baseline — FEDERAL.elements / amoe

No “NO PURCHASE NECESSARY” statement in advertising or mail materials.

Determination: Failure of the free-entry disclosure rule.

Required fix: State “No Purchase Necessary to Enter or Win” prominently (39 U.S.C. § 3001 for mail; FTC Dot Com Disclosures for digital).

Source: Federal baseline — officialRules[0]

The free entry path is buried, harder, or gives lower odds than the paid path.

Determination: Equal-dignity violation — the AMOE is not truly free.

Required fix: Give the AMOE the same odds, deadlines, and entry count as any paid method; never run a separate prize pool.

Source: Federal baseline — amoe

Official rules omit ARV, odds, dates, eligibility, winner selection, or sponsor identity.

Determination: Incomplete disclosure — deceptive promotion risk.

Required fix: Publish complete Official Rules before entry covering all ten required items (see the Compliance Checklist tool).

Source: Federal baseline — officialRules

Charging a winner to claim a prize or sending fake “you have won” notices.

Determination: Deceptive marketing — FTC and state AG territory.

Required fix: Never demand payment to claim a prize; disclose material terms clearly. New York adds civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation under G.B.L. § 369-ee.

Source: Federal baseline — enforcement / New York quirks

Prize of $600+ paid out without IRS reporting.

Determination: Reporting obligation missed — winners still owe the tax.

Required fix: Sponsors generally file Form 1099-MISC for prizes of $600 or more; winners are responsible for all taxes.

Source: Federal baseline — taxNote

Chance-based sweepstakes-casino style model that mimics gambling.

Determination: Actively challenged by multiple state attorneys general.

Required fix: Do not treat chance-based, pay-to-enter models as lawful amusement; state AGs (e.g., Michigan, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington) have issued cease-and-desist actions.

Source: Federal baseline — arcadeNote

Arizona: skill contest tied to a product purchase without AG registration.

Determination: Registration required before conduct under A.R.S. § 13-3311.

Required fix: Register skill contests tied to purchases with the Arizona Attorney General before conducting them.

Source: Arizona record — regThresholdText

Not legal advice. These rulings condense the site’s federal baseline and state records for quick reference. Penalties and procedures vary by state and change over time — read the full state record and confirm with a qualified attorney before running a promotion.

How to read the card

The interactive section runs the three-element test on your inputs — Prize, Chance, and Consideration — using the same logic as the Compliance Check tool, then checks the special-state registration triggers from the standards library. Below it, the ruling table answers the common question “what did I do wrong, what does it mean, and what do I fix?” in one line each. For the full checklist, open the Compliance Checklist Generator; for prize values, the Prize Value Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is this legal advice?

No. This tool structures the site’s existing federal-baseline and state records into quick-reference rulings. It is educational reference only. Penalties and procedures vary by state and change over time — confirm with a qualified attorney and the relevant state Attorney General before running a promotion.

What makes a promotion an illegal lottery?

A promotion combines three elements: a Prize, Chance, and Consideration. A sweepstakes keeps Prize and Chance but must remove Consideration (entry must be free, with an equal-dignity Alternate Method of Entry). A contest keeps Prize and Consideration but must remove Chance (winners judged on genuine skill). Remove one element and the promotion is lawful for a private business.

Why does my state appear in the registration section?

Four states — Arizona, Florida, New York, and Rhode Island — have special registration or bonding rules in the site’s standards library. The card reads those records directly: Florida and New York trigger on total prize value over $5,000, Rhode Island over $500 for retail promotions, and Arizona on purchase-linked skill contests.

What happens if I cross a registration threshold without filing?

The consequence is state-specific. In New York, failing to register under G.B.L. § 369-e is a Class B misdemeanor; Florida requires a $100 filing fee plus a bond or trust equal to the total prize value. Read the full state record on this site for the exact requirement.

Do these rulings cover every possible violation?

No. The ruling table covers the most common failure modes drawn from the site’s data — consideration present, missing no-purchase-necessary, unequal AMOE, incomplete rules, payment-to-claim scams, 1099 reporting, and challenged sweepstakes-casino models. It is a quick-reference card, not a full legal review.

Where do the sources come from?

All rulings trace to the site's standards library, verified 2026-08-16 from state AG / Secretary of State sites, FTC guidance, and statutory sources (39 U.S.C. § 3001, N.Y. G.B.L. § 369-e, Fla. Stat. § 849.094, A.R.S. § 13-3311, R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-50-1). Links are on the state records.

Sources & verification

Federal baseline and all state records verified 2026-08-16 — see the law hub and individual state pages for source links.
Key statutes: 39 U.S.C. § 3001, N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 369-e, Fla. Stat. § 849.094, Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13-3311, R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-50-1.
This page is educational reference and does not constitute legal advice.