This post about winner selection comes from one of Marden-Kane’s former Vice Presidents.
Pick me! Pick me! Most of us dream of being a big prize winner one day and many of us might even have some lucky rituals that we put into high gear when we really want good fortune to smile our way. A kiss for luck can certainly make someone feel like they’re a winner already – if only that were always true.
Here in the world of sweepstakes administration, the selection process for a sweepstakes winner is much more pragmatic and based only upon random selection. In fact, that’s what distinguishes winners of a sweepstakes from winners in a contest. Sweepstakes winners are selected randomly while contest winners who enter a skill-based competition are selected based on judging criteria outlined in the official rules.
The official rules of a sweepstakes will determine the promotional time period, who is eligible to enter, where and how an entry should be submitted, the limit on how many entries each person can submit, how many prize winners will be selected, and when the random drawing will take place. When it comes time to conduct the random drawing, which is done by electronic random numbering programs, all of these items will come into play.
Exactly which entries become ineligible varies by sweepstakes. For the most part:
- Any entries that are not submitted within the proper start and end dates and times, will not be eligible.
- Any entrants who are not of the proper age or who do not fall within the geographic location outlined in the respective official rules will be eliminated from the drawing, as will any other specifically-excluded parties such as employees and/or family members of the designated sweepstakes sponsor.
- Any entries that have been submitted by a method other than the one described in the rules (i.e. they’ve been submitted to a postal address when only online entries were allowed) and any entries that contain incomplete information will not be eligible.
- Any entrant who has exceeded the entry limit, including those that have been found to use any automated software that allows repeated electronic entering, will not be eligible.
Once any non-eligible entries have been removed from possible winner contention, a random drawing of all eligible entries can then take place as outlined in the official rules. Some sweepstakes have only one prize winner that wins it all, while other sweepstakes may have multiple winners (either all receiving the same prize or some receiving different prizes). In order to maintain a sweepstakes’ integrity and to protect sponsors from any claims of favoritism in the selection process, programming for the proper electronic, random selection of winners is typically done by an independent Sweepstakes Administrator, such as Marden-Kane, Inc.
As you’ve probably read many times before, the odds of winning any prize are dependent on the number of eligible entries received. If there are more prizes to be awarded than there are eligible entries, some prizes may need to go unawarded, no matter how badly someone wanted to win. But hey, a kiss for luck never hurts!
If you need more information or assistance in setting up your winner selection process, contact us.
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I often let Chrome automatically fill in some of the form entry parameters, such as the address. Does this constitute “automated software” that would be flagged somehow?
Letting autofill to complete a form would not count against you. The automated software that gets you in trouble are things like scripts written to enter multiple times using fake email accounts.
Occasionaly, I am unable to select my year of birth (1928) in the drop down box because the years listed do not go back that far,even though the rules do not exclude my age. Sometimes there is no information so that I can report the problem to those responsible for the site.
That should never happen with a site that we build — if we have a Date of Birth field we typically go back to 1900 at least! If you ever have an issue email us at expert@mardenkane.com and we can help you!
I have a question about a sweepstakes. It seems odd that a sweepstakes will tell you this is the final step about 5 times and then keep sending the same paperwork on and on again. I really do not understand. I was told I was eligible for with the winning number. They even said I was very close. Then, I received a letter giving me another number stating yet another final step and another date down the road some one and a half to two months. I do not understand this kind of sweepstakes. They even stated they would be driving to my home, gave me the address. I’ve understood until all of the final steps, change of winning number and change of date further away. Can you explain this?
That doesn’t sound like a valid Sweepstakes….Ask for the Full Rules so you can review them and see if the Sweepstakes is even legal.
I love the game
if you enter a sweepstakes more than once say like every day, is that the same as repeated electronic entering, I hope not I love enterring as many sweepstakes as i can every day so i can have at least a chance to win,,ive always wanted to win, never have won anything,, and it would thrill my boys to no end, im a single mom of 4 boys and ive struggled since they were born, theyve misssed out on a loy in life and this would mean so much to all of us if i could win somehting,, I wish the best of luck to everyone,,
If the rules say you can enter once a day then you are fine!
If you enter more than once or enter on a double entry day hosted by the sponsor, does having more entries enhance of being possible picked as a winner through your process of selecting a winner
As stated above, the odds of winning any prize are dependent on the number of eligible entries received. If there is a “double entry day” and everyone else receives extra entries that day, your odds would only increase if no one else took advantage of that fact. For example, if you receive 1 entry per person per day in a one day promotion, and 4 people enter, then each of those 4 people who enter have a 1 in 4 chance of being the winner. On a “double entry day” when 4 people enter, they each still have a 1 in 4 chance of winning, since they each person has 2 out of a total of 8 entries. It just all depends on how many people enter, and if they also take advantage of double entries. Keep in mind, that some sweepstakes have hundreds of thousands of entries, though, so going from 1 chance in 100,000 to 2 chances in 100,000 are never great odds. But hey, someone is going to win! It might be you!
If you are selected as a possible winner, what is required to finalize the drawing process? What paperwork and documents does the potential winner need to have to confirm and finalize as a winner.
The required documentation from a winner would depend on the country, the state or province, the value of the prize, and what the prize is. You should contact a promotional marketing company (you can click the contact us page to send us an inquiry) with specifics on your prize and promotion to get answers pertinent to your case.
Do you guys look at profiles at all when selecting a winner for 8080? Also since their deadline just end yesterday. When will the winner be contacted by you?
Always look at the official rules for when the random drawing will happen, and usually the rules list when winners might be contacted. And FYI — potential winners in any 80eighty promotion will only be contacted by a member of the MK staff. You will never be asked for money, a credit card or payment to redeem your prize. If you are contacted by someone by email, phone or social media informing you that you won a prize and requesting payment, please immediately cease your conversation. Good luck!