a trade promotion lottery permit if the winner(s) are to be chosen via an element of chance, i.e. a competition draw. No permits are required for competitions that do not involve an element of chance in determining the winner or winners. Common examples include competitions where entrants are required to submit a photo or an answer to a question in 25 words or less. Many compers (those who enjoy entering competitions) attend annual national conventions. In 2012 over 100 people from the online competitions website lottos.com.au met on the Gold Coast, Queensland to discuss competitions. The United Kingdom Sweepstakes with an entry fee are considered in the UK to be lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005. Most sweepstakes in the UK are small-scale. They are classed as work lotteries, residents' lotteries, or private society lotteries, and do not require a licence, provided that all the money staked is paid out as prize money. The popularity of the term "sweepstakes" may derive from the Irish Sweepstakes, which were very popular from the 1930s to the 1980s. There is a tradition of office sweepstakes (known as office pools in the U.S.), which are usually based on major sporting events such as the Grand National and the World Cup. Entrants pay an equal stake for each horse/team they draw out of the hat before the event. The winner then takes the pot. For horse racing events, the pot may be split between the horses that win, place, and show. What an American would call a "sweepstakes" — a random prize draw promoting a commercial product — is likely to be labelled as a "prize draw" or "competition" in the UK. In the UK, prize competitions and prize draws are free of statutory control under the Gambling Act 2005, but should follow the CAP Code. United States In the United States, sweepstake sponsors are very careful to disassociate themselves from any suggestion that players must pay to enter, or pay to win, since this would constitute gambling. Sweepstakes typically involve enticements to enter a consumer promotion with prizes that range from substantial wins such as cars or large sums of money to smaller prizes that are currently popular with consumers. There should be no monetary cost to the entrant (although some sweepstakes require entrants to subscribe to a promotional mailing list, potentially exposing the entrant to an increase in junk mail, spam email, or