If you want to win more sweepstakes, understanding precisely how sponsors choose winners can help you a lot. After all, the more you know about how sweepstakes work, the better you’ll be able to tweak your odds of winning. Here, we tell you the common methods that sweepstakes companies use to choose winners.
Drawing the winning entry from a mailbag
A common way to choose winners for mail-in sweepstakes is by picking the winning entry by hand from a mailbag. Sweepstakes companies sort the envelopes they receive into different bags. When it’s time to pick the winner, a bag is usually chosen at random. The sponsor then has a designated person reach into the mailbag and pull out an envelope. The person who mailed in the envelope that was picked will be declared the potential winner.
Drawing names from a box
Giveaways where you drop your entry into a container work in a similar fashion. The sponsoring company reaches into the box and picks the winning entry at random.
When companies choose the winning entry by randomly picking an envelope or entry form from a box or mailbag, there’s not much you can do to tweak the odds in your favor. However, many sweeps enthusiasts advise decorating your envelope so it catches the eye of the person picking the entry.
Winning entry is chosen by assigning a random number
This is the method that most sweepstakes companies use to pick winners. Each entry is assigned a number (usually in the order in which the company receives the entries). And, on the drawing date, the sponsor chooses a number at random, and the corresponding entry is considered the winner of the giveaway.
For such sweepstakes, you should focus on sending more entries so you have a better chance of winning. Of course, make sure to read the rules of the giveaway, so you aren’t sending more entries than what is permitted.
