Dear Sweeper,

Welcome to The Sweepstakes Wire™! We are in the process of building an entire online community to help you make the most of your sweepstaking and couponing efforts. You can help The Sweepstakes Wire become the best sweepstakes portal on the web....and win prizes at the same time during our monthly subscription drive contest. We are trying to "spread the word" about The Sweepstakes Wire - and we need your help! The rules are simple: tell your friends and earn an entry for each friend who becomes a subscriber. The top member with the highest number of entries or "subscriptions" each month will receive a nice gift. Plus, the member with the highest number of entries for the year is the grand prize winner and will receive the grand prize. Click here to read the official rules.

In this issue, find out why second chance sweepstakes are the way to go in our featured article, "Second Chance--Your Best Chance?". Check out our pick for the sweepstakes with the best prize of the month. Plus, check out our featured links to sponsors hosting multiple sweepstakes and links sent in by our members.

As usual, please let us know when you win a prize through a sweepstakes listed on our site. Send us your name, the name of the sweepstakes and prize won, and a picture (optional) of yourself to: winners@sweepstakes.bz. We can't wait to start posting good news from all of our new members!

Best regards,

The Sweepstakes Wire
http://www.sweepstakes.bz
editor@sweepstakes.bz

Second Chance--Your Best Chance? - Featured Article
source: The Sweepstakes Wire Staff

Most everyone has seen instant win game pieces on or in the wrappers of commonly purchased food items and other products. These types of games are called "on pack instant-win games". In general, of the millions of wrappers printed, one or several will be a winning game piece. The rest are not. Thus, the odds of winning is often only 1 in several million. Other types of "on pack games" are collect-and-win and match-and-win in which you need to save multiple game pieces or go to a store and match a symbol or code to a product display.

What most people do not realize about these games is that there are often a lot of unclaimed prizes. Why? Well, truthfully, most people tend to toss the wrapper and never even look to see if they are an instant winner. Likewise, because it takes a lot more effort to win the match-and-win or collect-and-win games, people do not even bother, so there are usually even more unclaimed prizes for those types of games.

These unclaimed prizes are often awarded in second chance sweepstakes. Sponsors hold second chance drawings to give away prizes that are not awarded during their games. They don't always hold second chance drawings, but when they do, they often afford you better odds of winning one of those unclaimed or "leftover" prizes. These second chance sweepstakes are often only advertised with the game piece and usually involve mailing in an entry. So, this may mean that the odds of winning will be greater due to potentially less entries. Here is an example:

Tombstone's You Could Win Whatever You Want (up to $100,000)

The odds of winning the grand prize instantly: 1:11,015,500.

If the grand prize is unclaimed, it will be awarded in a Second Chance random drawing on or about 02/02/03 from among all eligible Second chance entries received. To enter, hand print your complete name, street address (no P.O. Boxes), city, state, zip code and (optional) daytime and evening telephone numbers, on a plain piece of 3" x 5" paper and mail in a hand-addressed, stamped, (#10) envelope to: Tombstone® What Do You Want? Second Chance, P.O. Box 4305, Blair, NE 68009-4305 by 02/03/03. Limit one entry per envelope.

The odds of winning the grand prize in the second chance drawing: depends on the number of eligible entries received.

Since you can pretty much guarantee that they will not receive 11,015,500 entries for the second chance drawing, we think it is pretty clear, that at least in this case, second chance IS your best chance!

(Editor's Note: For a free Official Game Message, send a SASE to: Tombstone® What Do You Want? Requests, P.O. Box 4329, Blair, NE 68009-4329 by 01/03/03.)

back to top

This Month's Picks - Featured Sweepstakes Links

RollingStones.com - Win tickets to concerts and other great prizes. Click here to get the links!

ProgressiveFarmer.com - Win free stuff from ProgressiveFarmer.com. Click here to see the featured contests.

Parenting.com - Click here to view all current contests and sweepstakes.

HERSHEY's TrickorTreat.com - Click here.

Mamashealth.com has partnered with Time Warner Books and Ash Tree Publishing to give away free health books to people who visit Mamashealth.com. Each month a different book will be featured. Participants can enter once a day, as often as they like.
Submitted by: Raquel Hunter

back to top

The Best Prize of the Month - Editor's Choice Award

Who: Hershey Food Corporation

What: HERSHEY'S Great American Dream Daily Drawing - Enter online for your chance to win $50,000 or over a million other prizes.

Other prizes include:
300 Marriott Getaway Weekends
3,000 $25 Debit Cards
1 Million REESE'S FASTBREAK candy bars


When: Contest began on or about May 1, 2002 and ends at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on February 28, 2003.

Where: http://www.hersheysgreatamericandream.com/

Eligibility Requirements: Open only to legal U.S. residents, 13 years of age or older as of 5/1/02.

HERSHEY'S Great American Dream
Daily Drawing - Official Rules

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Game begins 12:00 am Eastern Time on May 1, 2002 and ends at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on February 28, 2003. Limit one entry per person, per e-mail address, per day. Must be a legal resident of the U.S., 13 years of age or older as of 5/1/02 to enter. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited or restricted by law. Subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Personally identifiable information collected will be utilized only for the purposes of awarding the prizes, and will be deleted 45 days after the Sweepstakes end.

2. HOW TO ENTER: Go to www.hersheys.com and click on the Hershey's Great American Dream Daily Drawing promotion bar during the specified time period listed above, and complete all information on the on-line entry form. The use of automated entry devices is prohibited and will void all such entries. To enter by mail send your complete name, address and age (include parent or legal guardian's name if under the age of 21), hand-printed on a 3"x 5"card to: Hershey's Great American Dream Daily Drawing, PO Box 408, Dept P, East Rutherford, NJ 07073-0408 during the specified time period listed above. Sponsor is not responsible for mutilated, illegible, incomplete, late, misdirected, postage-due, lost or stolen entries. By entering this sweepstakes, entrants agree to be bound by these rules and consent to the use of their name and/or likeness (without additional compensation) for publicity purposes carried out by sponsor to the extent allowed by applicable law. All materials submitted become the property of sponsor and will not be returned.

3. COMMUNICATION: Hershey Foods Corporation is not responsible for any entry miscommunications such as technical failures related to computer, telephone, cable, and unavailable network or server connections, related technical failures, or other failures related to hardware, software or virus, or misdirected entries. Any compromise to the fair and proper conduct of this sweepstakes related to a computer virus, or similar type of technical impairment that may effect the proper fairness, security and administration may result in the termination of this promotion, or portion thereof at the sole discretion of sponsor.

4. PRIZES: The first one-million qualified entries received by Internet and/or by mail will receive a coupon for one Free REESE'S FastBreak Candy Bar with a retail value of $.65. One Grand Prize will be awarded consisting of $50,000. Three hundred Second Prizes will be awarded consisting of a Marriott weekend getaway consisting of 2-nights hotel accommodations in the form of a gift certificate. Winners will be required to make their own reservations, subject to availability and black out dates. No spending/travel money is included with the second prize. Retail value of up to $500. If winner of second prize is under age 21, prize will be awarded to the winner's parent or legal guardian. Three thousand third prizes will be awarded consisting of a $25 prepaid debit card. No substitution of prizes is permitted except that sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize with prize of comparable value if stated prize becomes unavailable. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of prizes. All first, second and third prizes will be awarded. All Free REESE'S FastBreak coupons will be awarded unless fewer than one-million entries are received, in which case all coupons may not be awarded. Winners entering via the Internet entry method will be notified by e-mail. Winners entering via the mail-in entry method will be notified by mail. The Grand Prize, all second prizes, all third prizes and all Free REESE'S FastBreak coupon winners entering by the mail-in entry method will be mailed their prize to the winners address specified on the entry via United States Postal Service. Those Free REESE'S FastBreak coupon winners entering from the Internet entry method will receive their coupon via the Internet. Taxes are the winners' responsibility. Limit one second or third prize per person and e-mail address.

5. JUDGING: A total of 300 daily random drawings will be conducted (1/day) from all eligible entries received by each date to award 1 second prize and 10 third prizes each day (except Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day 2002 and New Years Day 2003) beginning on May 1, 2002 and ending on February 28, 2003 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The $50,000 Grand Prize Winner will be selected from all eligible entries, including those entries that previously have won a second prize, third prize, or Free REESE'S FastBreak coupon on March 31, 2003. Winner selection will be conducted by an independent judging organization whose decisions are final on all matters relating to this sweepstakes. Grand Prize winner will be notified by mail and be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility, publicity and liability release within thirty days or a new grand prize winner will be chosen from a random drawing. The odds of winning a prize will depend on the total number of entries received by each drawing date. All qualified entries will be eligible to win a prize and each entry will carry-over to the subsequent daily drawings until the conclusion of the sweepstakes.

6. ELIGIBILITY: Employees of Hershey Foods Corporation and its affiliates, advertising, promotion agencies or printers and judges and their immediate families are not eligible.

7. WINNERS LIST: For a list of grand and second prize winners, send a stamped, self-addressed, letter-size envelope to Hershey's Great American Dream Daily Drawing Winners List, P.O. Box 7456, East Rutherford, NJ 07073-7456 by 3/15/03. Residents of VT may omit stamp.

8. SPONSOR: Hershey Foods Corporation, Hershey, PA 17033

back to top

Ask The Expert

Question: Do I have to claim my prize winnings on my tax return?

Expert: Yes, you do. As of 2001, gambling winnings must be reported on IRS Form W-2G if an individual receives the following:

Winnings from gambling, lotteries, raffles, sweepstakes, wagering pools or drawings having a value of $600 or more. Prizes and gambling winnings having a value in excess of $5,000 are subject to withholding at the rate of 27%.

   Click here to download IRS Form W-2G.

Question: How can I tell if a sweepstakes is legitimate?

Expert: First and foremost, remember that a legitimate sweepstakes will not require a purchase or an entry fee.

By definition, a sweepstakes is an advertising or promotional device by which money or prizes are awarded to participating consumers by chance, with no purchase or "entry fee" required to win.

   Read more from the NY State Consumer Protection Board.

Do you have a question for our expert? Send an email to us at: editor@sweepstakes.bz.

back to top

Sweepstakes Tips
source: The Sweepstakes Wire Staff

Just remember -- while you won't win every sweepstakes you enter, if you follow these tips and enter consistently, you will greatly increase your odds of winning. Good luck!

back to top

Sponsor A Sweepstakes - Become A Prize Partner

The Sweepstakes Wire is looking for prize partners to sponsor sweepstakes for future issues.

To sponsor a sweepstakes, you would offer your products or services as prizes in a sweepstakes. In return, you receive free advertising in The Sweepstakes Wire newsletter, links to your website from the sweepstakes pages, and free advertising of your product on our website. You may offer several small prizes (under $100) or one or two larger prizes ($100 - $500), or a combination of small and larger prizes.

If you are interested, plese send us an email (editor@sweepstakes.bz) with a link to your web site, the number of prizes you would like to offer, a description of the prize and an approximate retail value of the prize.

back to top

back to top

back to top