Wisconsin Contest and Sweepstakes Laws

Yes, a free-to-enter giveaway is generally fine in Wisconsin. Wisconsin defines a lottery as paying for a chance to win, even with some skill involved.

• Wis. Stat. § 945.01(5) defines a lottery as giving participants, for a consideration, a chance to win a prize decided by chance.
• Consideration means a commercial or financial advantage to the promoter or a disadvantage to entrants, with listed exceptions such as learning where to send your name from the media.
• Bingo and raffles run under chapter 563 aren't lotteries under this definition.
• Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin before you launch.

Sources:

• Wis. Stat. § 945.01, Gambling definitions