Marketing is wanting to have an essay contest available to all high school seniors within the county. The content is "What my community means to me." Each school will have a winner. The prize is a $500 scholarship payable to the college which the senior will attend.

I don't even know where to begin looking. Is this a lottery? Are there pitfalls I should be concerned about? Our advertising is generally very broad and basic, so this is a new wrinkle. I'll continue looking, but any input would be greatly appreciated!

Sounds like significant "consideration" to enter. First stop, state laws.

This IMO would not be a lottery. There is no random drawing to determine the winner. The winner will be chosen based on their essay writing skills.

I was lucky enough to inherit a plethora of resources when a friend/coworker retired. One of these guides define sweepstakes/contents/lotteries in a way that I haven't found anywhere else. PM me with your email address if you have any interest.

Thanks Dan!

Gila, I sent you the pm. Thanks so much!

I have a similar situation. We are thinking of providing either a $50 gift card to high-school students in which their school has recognized as an honor graduate. Alternatively, we have also thought of giving a “certificate” entitling a $50 bonus if they open a deposit account. Other than the Reg DD requirements on the latter plan, do you think any of these programs constitute a lottery or have any other associated problems?

We have had several types of contests with students over the years, art projects mostly. I would encourage you to seek judges outside your institution. For example, we have two winners of our annual painted pumpkin contest. One is judged by the mayor and the second is picked by the number of Facebook likes. We have also had retired teachers as judges. Takes the heat off the banker...