Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.legal Subject: Contest Rules Message-ID: <4137@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Tue, 21-Aug-84 10:54:45 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.4137 Posted: Tue Aug 21 10:54:45 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 22-Aug-84 05:53:33 EDT Organization: Ballistics Research Lab Lines: 23 Anytime you see a sweepstakes or contest advertised, whether by little cards handed out in McDonalds or in a magazine or newspaper ad, there is a mass of legalese in fine print regarding the rules and operation of the contest. Most of these include a listing of the odds against your winning any one of the prizes. Are there some federal laws or regulations that control what information is presented to the participants, or is this just subject to various state statutes regarding gambling? What inspires this inquiry is my realization that I have been entering contests for some time now in which I have no idea of the odds. Several of the gun magazines have "giveaways", in which you can win a gun or knife, and, to enter, you send in a postcard with your name & address. None of these magazines have ever published any statement regarding the number of entries received for past drawings, or the odds against your winning one of the prizes. Are these magazines in violation of some federal law by not doing this? (I have never written them requesting this information, however; if they only have to make it available upon request, they may be entirely in the right.) Regards, Will Martin seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or wmartin@almsa-1