Introduction
Sweepstakes Game in milkyway, a type of promotional contest that has been engaging participants for over several centuries. It is based on the motivation of gaining a chance to win a prize. These games have transformed over time trying to conform to the existing laws and technologies as well as the buyer’s attitude. Looking at the means of sweepstakes games evolution from the early years of lotteries to the contemporary online games.
Early Beginnings: Lotteries and Raffles
The origin of the sweepstakes game would primarily be traced back to some of the early history of human civilization where the closest form of the game would be lottery and raffle. Such games were employed to allocate goods, land and even slaves out of which they got their name. For example, in ancient Rome the Emperor Augustus introduced public lotteries for such purposes as repair of the city. People purchased tickets and, based on the tickets that were allocated to them, some were lucky to win different items.
Towards the end of the 15th century up to the renaissance lotteries had started to grow in Europe as a way of raising funds for public domain. The oldest recorded public lottery dates back to 1446, in a town of Bruges, in Belgium. Other lotteries pervaded across the continent and were used to finance works such as construction of bridges and schools. Queen Elizabeth I founded in 1569 the first English state lottery for the improvement of harbors and for the assistance of the poor.
The 19th Century: The Birth of Modern Sweepstakes
It was in the 19th century when the modern day sweepstakes game can be said to have been conceived. It is believed that companies have started employing sweepstakes in their marketing agenda due to industrialization and mass media. Early on, they were commonly carried out from newspapers and mail. For instance in the 1850s, the Irish Sweepstakes which was one of the oldest sweepstakes was formed. It provided large monetary awards and quickly became popular all over the globe; the tickets were sold in millions.
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The 20th Century: regulation and expansion
Coming to the twentieth century, several modifications have occurred in the nature of sweepstakes games due to the development of many technologies and changes in the legal proceedings. In the United States, with the early maturity of consumer culture in the twentieth century, sweepstakes have emerged as a popular advertising strategy. Sweepstakes on products were used by companies to encourage consumers to purchase their products or read magazines subscribed to by the company. Some are as old as the Publishers Clearing House (PCH) sweepstakes that started in 1953 and gained wide popularity because of the huge cash jackpots and the spectacular home visit of the check-presenting personnel to the winners.
But, the extensive use of sweepstakes also aroused criticism and regulation to a certain extent. Due to the increasing incidences of fraud, governments felt the need to set up the rules of these competitions. In the United States of America, the Federal Trade Commission or the FTC came up with regulations to govern the field of sweepstakes with the aim of putting into practice the principles of the ‘Relevant and Responsive Sweepstakes Rule. These were major requirements such as specific terms and conditions to be made clear, no purchase being necessary, and random draw.
The Digital Age: Sweepstakes Game on the Internet and Further
Since the invention of the internet, sweepstakes games were available with so much relief and with more interesting features than before. Online exhibitions of sweepstakes became relevant in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to the use of the Internet by companies to expand their consumer base. Web-based platforms specifically for sweepstakes appeared and people could join several promotions with one click.
Social media also affected the environment. Thus, through Facebook, Instagram and twitter companies began to hold sweepstakes. These competitions indeed required people to follow a brand and share, like and comment on posts made by the brand, which in a way helped the brand reach out to their fans.
Furthermore, for the same reason, analysis of the data collected has been properly developed to personally address consumers through sweepstakes, which in turn has made it a better promotional tool. Sweepstakes have also evolved to be more engaging featuring Game with Prizes, scratch cards, and online treasure hunts.
Conclusion
It is, thus, evident from the history of the very sweepstakes games why they remain so popular to this day. They changed to respond to the given requirements and needs. Historically, beginning from the earliest kind of sweepstakes or lotteries, sweepstakes have been constantly developing to employ participants’ interest and become effective promotional instruments. Thus, with the development of technologies and further advancements, sweepstakes will, most assuredly, stay as one of the most popular and adaptive types of promotions that can create numerous chances and opportunities for business corporations and customers as well.
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