Giveaway glossary

AMOE (alternate method of entry)

A free way to enter a sweepstakes that requires no purchase or payment, offered so paying and non-paying entrants have the same chance to win.

Consideration

Something of value an entrant gives up in order to enter — money, a purchase, or in some jurisdictions substantial time and effort.

Contest (skill contest)

A promotion where winners are judged on skill against published criteria rather than selected at random.

Eligibility

The published conditions an entrant must meet to enter and win — usually a minimum age and a defined geographic region.

Lottery

A promotion combining prize, chance, and consideration — generally reserved to the state or to licensed operators.

Official rules

The published terms of a promotion: who may enter, how to enter free, the entry period, prize details, how a winner is selected, and who the sponsor is.

Prize fulfillment

Everything after the draw: notifying the winner, verifying eligibility, collecting delivery details, and delivering the prize.

Random drawing

Selection of a winner from the pool of eligible entries by a method that gives every eligible entry its stated chance.

Skill-testing question

A question — typically a multi-step arithmetic problem — that a Canadian winner must answer correctly before receiving a prize.

Sweepstakes

A promotion where winners are chosen by chance and no purchase or payment is required to enter.