West Virginia Contest and Sweepstakes Laws

A free-to-enter giveaway is the safe route in West Virginia. State law bans promoting a lottery or raffle for money or other things of value.

  • W. Va. Code § 61-10-11 makes it an offence to set up, promote or help run a lottery or raffle for money or other things of value.
  • The section doesn't spell out a free-entry exception, so check a paid or raffle-style promotion with a lawyer.
  • West Virginia has no special sweepstakes registration or bonding rule in the statutes we checked.

Beyond these points, the general US rules on free entry and clear official rules likely apply.

Gleam generates Terms & Conditions for every Competition. Tick A Purchase or Donation is Required to Complete This Action on any paid Action and Gleam adds a free entry alternative. On the Pro Plan and above, Restrict Entries by Location can limit entry to the US, but it works by country, not state. To leave out a state, add the State field on the Pre-Entry tab and name the excluded states in your terms.

This isn't legal advice. Check your promotion with a lawyer licensed in West Virginia before you launch.

Sources:

What Does “No Purchase Necessary” Actually Mean?

It means you can't make people buy anything to enter a sweepstakes. If a purchase is part of entering, you need a free alternative method of entry (AMOE).

See Next Article

Idaho Contest and Sweepstakes Laws

Idaho excludes merchant promotional contests from its gambling definition when no consideration is charged, so a free-entry giveaway is the safe design.