Sweepstakes differ from other promotions like the lottery, skill contests or other premium offers in that sweepstakes are free purchase or entry fee is necessary to enter. All you need to do is register with the company offering the sweepstakes, and you'll be eligible to win without having to spend a single penny. This means all the sweepstakes (cash, car, home, vacation, online) are free.

Registration with the company can be a long process or it can be short. Sometimes you will be asked to