Offer a Prize on my Website

[mortgageguy]

Minnesota

I want to have a drawing for a prize to people registering on my new online auction website (it is free to register) in the month of September. I would also like to add an entry each time someone post an auction as well ( not free). Can I do that or do I have to make it available to anyone?

 

[FlyingRon]

Anytime you make entry contingent on someone passing money or something else of consideration as a requirement to enter, you run the risk of being considered an illegal lottery. This is why many places that do this allow an alternative method of submitting entries that doesn't cost anything (usually by snail mail).

You may wish to review the Minnesnowta statutory definition here:
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=609.75&year=2008

 

[abrakadabra]

i have a similar question. When i'm selling online for example 1000 books and i would like to draw a prize for every one who buy a book, then it may be consider as illegal lottery.. But what if i tell , that i'm selling 1000 books, and one of them comes with a 1000 $ inside (i am selling a book and a money in it) but no one know which book will be "lucky book". Would it be lottery, is that legal?

 

[FlyingRon]

ABRA, Your is no way similar. Yours is an out and out lottery. Just because you try to "hide" it doesn't make it so. I don't know what state you are in, but I can almost guarantee that this will be illegal in your jurisdiction.