How I Rate and Review Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes Tips
How We Rate
Understanding Odds

After entering a few sweepstakes, you will see a great variety among them. The rules, prizes, eligibility, the length of the sweepstake, and the sponsor can contribute greatly to the odds of winning and what you might win. There are sweeps where the odds of winning a prize can be as low as less than one in 50 while other maybe one in 100,000 or more. This leads to how I rate a sweep and why it may benefit you in your endeavors. Below are some basic ideas and factors to consider.

Odds of Winning

In all sweeps, there will or should be a clause about what the odds of winning is. Most will say; "Depending on the number of entries." The real key is what makes the odds through eligibility and the general rules. Odds will vary greatly because who may enter, age of the person, the quality of the prizes and many other factors. The sweeps you find on this site will be of high quality. I will rate a sweep with better odds a quarter to a half point higher if the odds are better than normal.

Type of Sweepstakes

The type of sweepstakes has an impact on how I rate. Most of the sweeps you see on this site will be either "Daily" or "One Time" entries. One time sweeps will generally give you slightly better odds of winning over a daily sweep. This is because a one time sweep will not be as seen by as many people as a daily sweep. Thereby, your odds of winning are slightly higher.

Snail mail only carries some of the best odds of winning. Simply the reasoning here is that many people will not invest money for a stamp and envelop for the sweepstakes. The number of these sweeps is fewer and fewer because they are cost and labor intensive for the sponsors and sweepstakes administers to offer.

Length of the Sweepstakes

The length of how long the sweepstakes is run will also have a determination on your odds. The longer the sweepstake is run, the worse your odds of winning. If the sweep is being run for less than a month, this would be a better sweepstakes and would receive a higher rating.

Ease of Entering

If there is one thing that is irritating in entering sweeps are ones that take a long time to finish. These are the sweeps that you have to enter a large number of pages to finish or have long surveys. These sweeps with be rated down a quarter to a half point.

Advertised Sweepstakes

If a sweepstakes is nationally advertised, then your odds of winning will go down considerably. If the sweep is only offered on the internet, they your odds will be better at winning. For a sweep that receives intensive media and television coverage, I would reduce the rating as much as a half point.

Prizes

There are hundreds of sweeps to enter for prizes starting at few dollars to over a million dollars. With this in mind, I consider the number of prizes and the size of the grand and first prizes as most important criteria. While I appreciate all prizes that are offered for entering, if the grand prize is not very large, I will put this sweep way down my list to play. Likewise, the higher dollar prizes will receive a higher rating.

I like great grand prizes but I prefer many prizes. If a sweep has 10 $5,000 prizes, verses one $50,000 single grand prize, I rate higher the 10 winner $5,000 sweep. While both sweeps have $50,000 in total prizes, the odds of winning are better with the great number of prizes and would be rated higher.

Basic Rating Table

If the total Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of all the prizes is:

$1,000 to $5,000 the base rate: 1 1/2 star.
$5,000 to $15,000 the base rate: 2 star.
$15,000 to $25,000 the base rate: 2 1/3 star.
$25,000 to $50,000 the base rate: 3star.
$50,000 to $100,000 the base rate: 3 1/2 star.
$100,000 to $250,000 the base rate: 3 1/2 star.
$250,000 to $500,000 the base rate: 4 star.
$500,000 to $1,000,000 the base rate: 4 1/2 star.
$1,000,000+ 5 star.

If any sweep is rated at 1 or less, then you have a lot of time to play. While these sweeps might make the minimum amount of $1,000 in prize value to be on this website, this might not be worth entering.

For many of you will have a limited amount of time per day that you can play the sweeps, this might be helpful. Many people will only enter in the higher dollar sweeps and if they have any extra time, then enter the lower ones.