Contests & Sweepstakes

McDonald’s Monopoly and Tim Hortons’ Roll Up the Rim to Win serve as examples of contests and sweepstakes that are relevant for the development of a brand. Usually, customers look forward to these contests. This can especially be seen in Tim Hortons’ Roll Up the Rim, which has become a beloved annual Canadian tradition.

Contests and sweepstakes are quasi-gaming. Therefore, there a number of rules and regulations that contest and sweepstakes operators must follow, including the Canadian Criminal Code, the Canadian Consumer Protection Act, and, if the contest or sweepstakes is offered in Quebec, Quebec’s Rules Respecting Publicity Contests. Making sure that your contest or sweepstakes complies with relevant laws is essential to avoid criminal sanctions, fines, and bad public relations.

In addition to making sure that the contests and sweepstakes comply with Canadian laws, contests and sweepstakes require additional documentation such as terms and conditions and, if personal information is being collected, a privacy policy.

We work with contest and sweepstakes promoters and operators to ensure that contests and sweepstakes comply with Canadian legislation. We draft legal opinions to provide comfort to boards, investors, payment processors, and app stores. We draft and review contest documents such as contest and sweepstakes rules, terms and conditions, and privacy policies. We ensure that you are complying with Canadian Anti-Spam legislation. We work with trusted lawyers globally to ensure that sweepstakes and contests comply with relevant legislation in the United States and elsewhere.