On Wednesday, the Illinois Attorney General declared daily fantasy sports illegal under Illinois gambling law. The AG Lisa Madigan gave her opinion...
On Tuesday, the FTC issued an Enforcement Policy Statement on Deceptively Formatted Advertisements -- a/k/a "native advertising", along with...
"Game Time Gold", "Ultimate Football Experience", The "Big Game" Sweepstakes, the "Special Teams" Sweepstakes, and the "Big Game Giveaway" are just a...
Recently, an affluent and intelligent businessman received a letter on Publishers Clearinghouse letterhead complete with the PCH logo and signed by...
It's now viral. Even if you had no interest in watching women get judged based upon how they look in swimwear (athletically speaking, of course), you...
Today (Dec. 18) is the official release date for the long-awaited next installment in the Star Wars saga – The Force Awakens. Disney and the Star...
On January 20, from 1:00 - 2:30 PM, Rob Laplaca will present a Lorman webinar titled "What All Lawyers Must Know About Fantasy Sports Gambling." The...
This week we wrote that fantasy sports leagues were (arguably) legal because they are games of skill under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement...
Everyone is familiar with the phrase "No Purchase Necessary." That's because promotions based on chance – sweepstakes, giveaways, or any promotion...
It doesn't matter whether you know a basketball from a hockey puck or a three-point play from a five course meal, every March, office works across...
1. Practically every type of promotional activity is regulated in some way: Sweepstakes and contests User generated content on websites...
Sweepstakes A sweepstakes is a chance promotion where the winners are selected randomly, such as random drawings, giveaways, and instant win...
Commercial co-ventures are a form of cause-related marketing that have proliferated in recent years. Commercial co-ventures between a company and a...
Promotion and sweepstakes laws vary widely across the fifty states and under federal regulations, creating complex challenges for today’s innovative marketers. This blog explores the latest updates and trends in promotion and marketing law, offering practical insights to help brands stay compliant while pushing creative boundaries. We’ll also discuss noteworthy, questionable, and groundbreaking promotional campaigns to encourage thoughtful discussion among marketing and legal professionals.
“You Might Be A Winner”—everyone knows this phrase. It is a tried-and-true marketing device that calls people to action to purchase a product, visit a website, or share an idea in return for the opportunity to win a prize. Through this blog, our goal is to make you a winner by providing useful information in the promotion marketing world.
Promotional marketing law covers many topics, including sweepstakes, contests, games, giveaways, and coupons. It also includes cause marketing, an area that has proliferated in recent years, which includes commercial co-ventures, flat donations, and sponsorships designed to raise money for charities. Laws often differ among the fifty states (and the federal government) and often can’t keep up with the ever-changing landscape created by innovative marketers. We will try to keep you abreast of promotion marketing law developments and elicit discussion over questionable, interesting, or innovative promotions.
The blog’s editor, Rob Laplaca, has more than thirty years of experience counseling major brands and marketing agencies as they develop fun and legally sound promotions. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences on promotion law topics and “that guy” who can be seen trying to read the fine print on ads and TV commercials.