Winning sweepstakes is mostly based on luck. However, submitting multiple entries may increase your chances of winning.
It is human nature to be thrilled by the idea of winning, especially when winning big. We are motivated to do whatever we can to win. Basketball players don’t just train on the court for the sake of training. They train so that they can perform well when it counts and win over their opponents.
Most of us, however, are not professional basketball players, but hat doesn’t mean that we don’t want to win prizes. In recent years, one of the most popular prize-based contests has become sweepstakes. Whether you’re already a regular sweepstake participant or you’re just starting to get your feet wet, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about maximizing your winning potential. Check it out below.
What Is a Sweepstakes?
Before anything, let’s define what exactly a sweepstake is. Simply put, sweepstakes are prize giveaways. Winners are drawn randomly from all of the valid entries. This is quite different from contests where judges rank entries based on a set of criteria. Sweepstakes winners, on the other hand, are drawn at random. You can probably see why people say luck is the only factor involved in winning. However, this may not be entirely true.
Factors Involved In Winning Sweepstakes
Sure, sweepstakes may be somewhat based upon luck, however there are other factors that go into determining if luck is on your side.
- Number of Competing Entries. This is basic probability mathematics. Say, you enter a sweepstakes wherein you are one of only two participants. You have a 50 percent chance of winning if the winner is drawn randomly. If, however, you are competing against 49,999 other participants, you have a 1/50,000 chance of winning.
- Number of Prizes Being Offered. Similar maths applies with the number of prizes being offered. If you are one of ten people competing for a single prize, you have a one-in-ten chance of winning. If the number of people stays the same, but ten prizes are being offered, your chances of winning are multiplied by ten.
Number of Entries. When you think about the previous two points, you may infer that a single entry alone has low chances of winning. You’d be right. This is why the factor which most significantly decides your chances of winning is your number of entries. The more entries you make, the higher your chances of winning. This is ultimately determined by the sweepstakes’ allowed entries and how many of those you submit. Therefor if you submit the total allowed entries, you heighten or maximize your winning potential.
How Often to Submit Entries
We’ve established that you can raise your chances of winning significantly by entering as often as the contest permits. Follow these guidelines below:
- Per Day/Week/Month. Enter every day/week/month, depending on the rules.
- Per Person. You can only enter one entry, personally.
- Per Email. You can create multiple email addresses to enter multiple entries.
- Per Computer. Feel free to borrow your spouse’s laptop to submit more entries.
- Per Household. Only one person in your family or household can enter.
In addition there are sometimes bonus entries available depending on the sweepstakes, so that is definitely something to be aware of and look out for. Ultimately the allowed number of entries in a specific sweepstakes will determine the number you can submit which will in turn have an effect on your chances of winning. Overall you should understand the importance of entry frequency and hopefully use it to your benefit in order to reach your sweepstakes entry potential in the future!
