The History of Sweepstakes

Feb 3, 2023 | Articles

The History of Sweepstakes

Feb 3, 2023 | Articles

Sweepstakes and contests have been around for a very long time. The term “sweepstakes” dates all the way back to the 15th century! The term was created in reference to a common game where everyone placed in a “stake” and the winner thus “swept,” aka won, the stakes. Interestingly, it’s believed that King Menelaus was said to have won Helen of Troy’s hand through the casting of lots. Below is a brief history of the rise in popularity of the modern sweepstakes.

The 1950’s was really when the term “sweepstakes” became commonplace. People began to realize how advantageous the promise of a free prize was for sales and brand recognition. When a company or place offered the chance to win a free product, customers became more interested in learning more about that particular item. This was such a simple way to increase sales and was much cheaper than running a traditional advertising campaign. It became apparent that running a sweepstakes was a great way to gain recognition on the cheap! A major difference though, was people were allowed to purchase something for additional entries into a contest, which would further increase the value of sweepstakes campaign.
In the 1960’s, Publishers Clearing House popularized incentivized magazine sales/deals for entries into various sweepstakes. This system allowed people to purchase products for additional entries, a practice which is now illegal. Since PCH, among other companies, was profiting heavily due to this tactic, the government decided to set up regulations to keep things fair for the consumers.
In the 1990s PCH and its primary competitor, American Family Publishers, experienced a series of legal troubles regarding concerns that their mailings misled people about their odds of winning and implied that magazine purchases increased their chances. This led to the creation of the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act of 2000, which regulates direct mail businesses.
Sweepstakes remain popular to this day and the digital age has made them even easier to enter. Initially, people had to fill out forms, read the official rules, fill out an address by hand, pay for postage, and send in the mail, a rather time-consuming process. Now, people are able to auto-fill forms quite easily on the computer, and simply need to click “submit” to enter. Finding sweepstakes and entering is easier than ever, and we are certainly excited to see what the future holds for them.
HGTV Smart Home Sweepstakes

HGTV Smart Home Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes are fun to dream about. We enter our information and spend the rest of the day thinking of everything we would do with the prize. Then we forget about entering until the day the winner is to be chosen. We hold our breather waiting to see if we will be the...

Good Luck Charms

Good Luck Charms

For centuries people have put their luck in the hands of little trinkets and tokens hoping one or all would bring them a string of good luck and fortune.  Maybe you have a favorite lucky charm you use now when it comes to winning big, maybe you are interested in...

Ethics and the Lottery

Ethics and the Lottery

While there are many benefits to hosting a lottery on a state level, these advantages don't always trickle down to the poor in advantageous ways. Is the lottery ethical? Does it do more harm than good? Let's take a look at how the lottery negatively affects struggling...

Skip to content