Know the Rules Before You Enter
FairEntry breaks down how raffles, sweepstakes, and giveaways actually work — the legal basics, the fine print, and the red flags to watch for — so you can enter with confidence. We’re an independent educational resource; we don’t run, sponsor, or sell any promotions ourselves.
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How to Verify a Giveaway or Company Is Legitimate Before Entering
Suggested Meta Description: Target keywords: is this giveaway legit, how to verify a company before entering, is this sweepstakes real, giveaway legitimacy checklist, how to check if a contest is real How to Verify a Giveaway or Company Is Legitimate Before Entering The best time to catch a fake giveaway isn’t after you’ve won something…
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What to Do If You’re Asked to Pay to Claim a Prize
What to Do If You’re Asked to Pay to Claim a Prize Here’s the single most important rule in this entire topic, stated plainly: a legitimate prize never requires you to pay money to receive it. Not a “processing fee.” Not “shipping costs.” Not “taxes” paid directly to whoever contacted you. If a payment request…
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Red Flags in Prize-Claim Emails and Texts (What to Check Before You Respond)
Red Flags in Prize-Claim Emails and Texts Getting notified you’ve won something is one thing — actually claiming it is where a lot of scams do their real work. Even if a prize notification seems plausible, the claim email or text that follows is worth examining closely on its own, because that’s usually the exact…
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What Does “No Purchase Necessary” Actually Mean? (Plain-English Guide)
What “No Purchase Necessary” Actually Means You’ve seen the phrase a thousand times, usually in tiny print at the bottom of a sweepstakes ad: “No purchase necessary.” Most people skim right past it. Almost nobody enters that way. But that one line isn’t decoration — it’s the single sentence that makes the entire promotion legal.…
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How Odds Are Calculated in a Giveaway or Raffle (Plain-English Guide)
How Odds Are Calculated in a Giveaway or Raffle “Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.” You’ve probably seen this line dozens of times and skipped right past it. But it’s actually one of the most important — and most misunderstood — parts of any giveaway or raffle. Here’s what’s really going…
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Glossary
Lottery
Pay to enter, winner picked by chance, prize awarded. This combination is what makes a lottery — and why it’s tightly regulated, usually only legal when run by a government or licensed operator.
Raffle
A type of lottery: tickets are sold and a winner is drawn at random. Typically only legal when run by a licensed charity or nonprofit.
Sweepstakes
Same as a lottery, minus the “pay to enter” part. Free entry is what makes sweepstakes legal without a gambling license — look for “no purchase necessary.”
Competition
Winner is chosen by skill or judgment, not chance — a question to answer, an entry to be judged. Removing chance is what lets some competitions legally charge an entry fee.
Definitions and legal treatment vary by country. This glossary is educational, not legal advice.
How Odds Work
Your odds of winning come down to one ratio:
Your entries ÷ total entries = your odds
Example: A raffle sells 500 tickets total. You buy 5. Your odds are 5 ÷ 500 = 1 in 100.
What changes your odds:
- Fewer total entries = better odds for everyone. A raffle capped at 200 tickets gives better odds than one with no cap.
- Buying more entries improves your odds relative to the pool — it doesn’t guarantee a win.
- Odds are usually only final once entries close, since most organizers don’t cap sales in advance. Look for one that publishes the total entry count when the draw happens.
More entries mean better odds, not a sure thing — and more spending. Set a budget before you enter, and treat any prize as a bonus, not an expectation.
Independent Educational Resource
FairEntry.net is an independent educational publication covering how raffles, sweepstakes, and competition-based games work. We are not a raffle operator, promoter, ticket seller, or gaming company, and we have no role in running, judging, or fulfilling any raffle or competition mentioned on this site.
Nothing on this site constitutes an offer to sell tickets or entries, and no purchase or entry can be made through us. Where we reference specific operators, platforms, or competitions, this is for illustrative or informational purposes only — always verify current rules, eligibility, and legality directly with the operator and your local regulations before participating.
Self Assessment
Wondering if gambling might be a problem for you or someone you care about?
We don’t run our own quiz — instead, we point you to validated screening tools developed and hosted by recognized gambling-support organizations. Most use the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), a peer-reviewed 9-question measure developed by researchers Ferris and Wynne as part of the Canadian Problem Gambling Index. It takes about two minutes and gives you a sense of your risk level — it’s not a diagnosis, just a starting point.
Your answers stay with the organization hosting the tool — this site doesn’t see or store them.
Take a self-assessment
PGSI-based self-assessment
Hosted by: Malta Gaming Authority + partner charities
PGSI-based self-assessment
Hosted by: GamCare
NODS-SA (general population) / EAGS-4 (ages 18–24)
Hosted by: National Council on Problem Gambling
PGSI (original source) — the tool most others are built on
Hosted by: Developed for the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
PGSI (self-help version)
Hosted by: Gambling Help Online
Get Help
If gambling is affecting you or someone you care about, free and confidential help is available.
Free, confidential, multilingual support online, 24/7.
National Gambling Helpline (GamCare)
Call 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7, or chat online.
National Problem Gambling Helpline
Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), free and confidential, 24/7.
Provincial Gambling Helplines
Support is organized by province/territory. Find your local helpline..
National Gambling Helpline (Gambling Help Online)
Call 1800 858 858, free, confidential, 24/7, or chat online.