Louisiana prize promotions: disclose sales-presentation conditions where applicable and distinguish free online contests from electronic gambling devices.
Planning a free giveaway or photo/video competition open to Louisiana residents? This guide focuses on ordinary commercial promotions with free entry, including random drawings and submission contests using judges or public voting. Paid entries or votes, purchase-linked promotions, charitable raffles and regulated prizes need separate analysis.
Editorial review: . Sources are linked beside the guidance they support. This is an informational overview, not legal advice for a particular campaign.
Prize offers tied to presentations
Louisiana R.S. 51:1721 specifically addresses promotional contests. When a prize or gift offer requires or invites a sales presentation or program, the statute sets disclosures that must accompany the notification.
That is a scoped rule, not a reason to apply a sales-presentation checklist to every free web giveaway. If your campaign includes a prize-claim appointment, tour or presentation, review that offer separately and disclose the relevant conditions before the consumer responds.
Sources: Louisiana R.S. 51:1721.
Keep online contest mechanics clear
For a free judged or public-vote submission contest, describe the method of selection and how ties are resolved. Keep entry, voting and claiming the advertised prize free for the format covered here.
Louisiana separately addresses electronic sweepstakes gambling devices in its gambling chapter. A gambling-device rule should not be treated as automatically applicable to a submission form, but calling a paid electronic game a marketing promotion does not resolve its status either.
Sources: Louisiana gambling chapter, including §14:90.7.
Registration and campaigns open to other states
For ordinary free commercial sweepstakes, the familiar prize-value filing regimes are in New York, Florida and Rhode Island. That does not remove Louisiana's disclosure and conduct rules described above, or special rules for a different industry or format. See the registration guide and its sources for that distinction.
The state-law directory links to all 50 states and DC. A “void where prohibited” line does not itself define your eligible audience or complete a required filing.
Before opening entries
Use these practical drafting and administration steps alongside the applicable state rules:
- Identify the sponsor, eligible entrants, entry period and advertised prize.
- Explain the free entry method and how winners are selected. For submissions, describe judging criteria or voting stages and tie handling.
- Make advertisements, the form and full rules agree; do not imply an entrant has already won.
- Plan verification, notification and fulfillment, and retain the rules and selection records.
Federal advertising standards also apply. The FTC warns against misleading purchase prompts and prize claims; see its advertising guidance. Tax reporting and channel-specific rules are covered in the national sweepstakes guide.
Nearby sweepstakes law guides
Planning a promotion across state lines? Review the guides for nearby jurisdictions.
Revup
Revup helps you collect entries and manage promotion workflows. Match your campaign settings and official rules to the requirements of your actual promotion.
