Avoiding Disqualification
The rules for contests and sweepstakes are very specific. That level of detail is required for the sponsor to comply with a wide variety of local and national laws. Violating some of the rules will have your entries disqualified immediately. If you win a large prize you will need to sign an affidavit stating that you did not violate the contest rules. Here are a some of the larger issues to try to avoid:

• Location
  Many contests are limited to residents of the Continental United States, which means all of the states except for Alaska and Hawaii. Other states like Florida have specific contests laws which will sometimes make residents of those states ineligible to win. It is a good idea to check the contest rules to make sure you live in an area that qualifies, especially if you live in a state which is frequently disqualified.
  
  
• Automated Entry
  Do not use automated entry software. This type of software violates the rules and spirit of most contests.
  
  
• Age
  While some contests specifically target young children, most are only open for adults to enter. Typically in the US this means you have to be at least 18 years old, but some contests from sponsors that sell alcohol require that you be at least 21 years old. If you are below 21 you should definitely double check the contest rules.
  
  
• Limited Entries
  Some contests limit you to just one entry per person or one entry per household. In some extreme cases if you violate those rules you may have all of your entries voided.
  
  
• Paperwork
  If you win a large prize you will need to complete the proper paperwork correctly and within the time frame given. Make copies before sending it back to the sponsor in case it gets lost in delivery.