Sweepstakes Contests

Just recently the Mega Millions Lottery sold $1.5Billion tickets for a $640Million jackpot.  The lottery is criticized as promoting gambling.  While this may be true for the habitual player, I think the lottery is just an paid form of a sweepstakes contest.  We are a nation of dreamers - dreaming about a big win.

The most famous sweepstakes is the Publishing Clearing House Sweepstakes.  This was a direct marketing mail that would arrive attempting to get you to subscribe to magazines.  All sweepstakes must show the odds of winning.    In 2007 the odds of winning $10 million from PCH was 1 in 330 million; 2010 the odds are 1 in 1.21Billion; 2011 the odds are 1 in 1.75Billion.  Hmmmmm - that's another form of inflation - a compounded inflation of 39.6% per year.

Other companies use sweepstakes to get consumer information from you or just get your email address.  Since all sweepstakes are forced to allow you to play without purchasing the product, the company at least gets your name, address and direct mailing information in return for your entry.  It is rare to get a receipt from a restaurant without a sweepstakes offer if you just fill out the simple consumer survey. 

So the question is - have  you ever won a contest?   The only contest I have personally won is about $100 for filling out a survey.  All that time of entering different contests has yielded only $100.  I do remember Mom received the benefit of my childhood obsession with winning when I filled a form out for her at the local grocery store and she was contacted and won a bag of groceries.

We'll see if luck strikes again -  I filled out a contest on-line entry this morning. 

"You've got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky?  Well do ya Punk?"   Clint Eastwood  as Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry

PS - Trivia Alert -  The TV ad with Ed McMahon  showing up  at the doorstep with your  million dollar check, was NOT Publishers Clearing House -  that was competitor American Family Publishers