Sweepstakes compliance

Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE): the complete guide for sweepstakes operators

An Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE) is a free, no-purchase-necessary way for someone to enter a sweepstakes. Including one is what legally separates a sweepstakes from an illegal lottery in the United States.

What is an AMOE?

An AMOE is any entry path that does not require a purchase, payment, or other form of consideration. The most common AMOE is a handwritten mail-in entry, but online forms, text-to-enter, and in-store entry kiosks can all qualify as long as they are genuinely free and offer the same odds of winning as paid entries.

Why sweepstakes legally need one

Under U.S. lottery law, a prize promotion is an illegal lottery when it combines all three of: a prize, chance, and consideration. Sweepstakes remove the “consideration” element by offering a free method of entry. State-specific laws (notably in Florida, New York, and Rhode Island) add registration and bonding requirements above certain prize-value thresholds. Always have official rules reviewed by qualified counsel.

What makes an AMOE valid

• Free of charge. No purchase, fee, or required action that has economic value.
• Equal dignity. AMOE entries must have the same chance of winning as paid entries.
• Clearly disclosed. The AMOE must appear in your official rules and on the entry page.
• Reasonably accessible. Reasonable steps to enter — not buried behind a captcha gauntlet or 100-step process.
• Documented limits. Same entry caps and eligibility rules as paid entries.

How to implement AMOE in PromoStack

1. Publish a free online entry form on your microsite — PromoStack creates one by default for every promotion.
2. Mirror eligibility and entry-cap rules across paid and free paths so odds are equal.
3. Include AMOE instructions in your official rules block and link them from the entry page footer.
4. Optionally enable a mail-in AMOE — collect mailed entries and bulk-upload them via the entries import so they appear in the same drawing pool.
5. Use scheduled reports to deliver a combined entry export to your fulfillment team for the winner draw.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Charging shipping or handling for the free entry path.
• Giving paid entries bonus entries or earlier draw windows.
• Requiring social-media follows or shares as the only free entry method (some states disallow this).
• Leaving the AMOE out of the official rules document.

This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. Always have your official sweepstakes rules reviewed by qualified counsel.