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Contests & Sweepstakes Terms

Definitions of Common Terms in The Sweepstakes World

Various terms are used in reference to contests and sweepstakes. Here we will attempt to define some of these terms for you.

Competitions - Generally any event where you have the chance to win a prize is referred to as a competition.

Sweepstakes - A sweepstake is free to enter and never requires a fee. If you are ever confronted with paying a fee for entry into a sweepstake, it is not a true sweepstake and you should NOT pay the fee or go any further with your entry. Sweepstakes are governed by the state in which the sponsor is licensed to do business. Official sweepstakes rules vary based on state laws. If you see a sweepstakes that appears you must make a purchase to be eligible to enter, search the rules for an alternative method. A lot of the time the rules will supply what is needed for entry or tell you how to obtain it.

Creative Contests - Contests usually require some sort of skill and are judged based on creativity and originality. Some have other criteria for judging. Most contests are creative in nature and require you to include an essay, recipe, photo, poem, video, etc. with your entry.

Instant Win Games - Instant win games are sweepstakes that give you instant gratification when you win. AS soon as you complete the game, you will know, if you have won or not. On most instant win games a link will be supplied for you to click, if your computer is unable to display the game properly. You can save yourself a lot of time while playing the instant win games, if you bypass playing the games by clicking on these links. Not playing the game will not effect the outcome of your entry.

Prize Drawings - A lot of the smaller sites will call their sweepstakes drawings. I'm not sure why they call them drawings rather than sweepstakes, but the are basically a sweepstakes. However, some of the smaller sites require you to pay shipping costs to receive your prize. Also, you may receive a discount off a purchase as a prize. To me this is not really a prize, but a promotion to get you to purchase their products.

Trivia Contests - Trivia contests require you to answer trivia questions. The correct answer is not always required. The rules will usually state, if they are or not. There are several sweeps sites where you can check for answers supplied by the members of those sites. Usually the answers can be found within the sponsors site and sometimes they even supply a link as a hint as to where to locate the answer. When entering trivia contests, if you don't know the answer, look around on the page the entry form is on for a hint. You can also search at google.com for answers.

Giveaways - This term is used in the same manner as Prize Drawings.

Form Filler - Is a program such as RoboForm, that assists you when filling in online forms.

Tracking System - A method used to keep track of the sweepstakes you have entered. It is good to know when you entered a sweepstakes last. Those that can be entered more than once usually have a time period you must wait before entering again. If you know when you entered last, it will be easier to determine, if that amount of time has passed.

Sweeps - Sweeps is a term used loosely to cover any event where you enter to win a prize.