The right to participate
Check the criteria for entry into the draw. For example: whether the application was sent within the deadline, whether the mandatory information was entered, checking the amount or items on the account (if possible before the draw), checking the number of applications per person (if there is a limit)
Random selection
Random selection means that each qualified entry, or each drawing entry, has an equal chance of winning a prize. For example, for a computerized random drawing in which we have 10,000 entries, there is an equal chance that an entry with serial number 4,972, number 1, or number 10,000 will be drawn.
Verification
For the drawn application, the account is inspected in order to check the amount, purchased items and any other criteria from the rules. For clients, we additionally check for possible fraud or manipulation with registered accounts or codes. If we determine that there is a reasonable suspicion of any irregularities, we do an additional check with the point of sale or the manufacturer.
Often, employees (or part of the employees) and their families are exempt from participating in the prize draw. The organizer can be additionally protected so that the condition for accepting the prize is a declaration by the winner, under material and criminal liability, that he is not an employee or a member of the employee's immediate family.
Documenting the drawing process
For the purpose of transparency of the draw, the process needs to be documented. As standard, a record of the drawing is drawn up and signed by the members of the commission, and if necessary, a video recording can be made. All actions must be carried out in a timely manner, in accordance with the deadlines specified in the rules of the prize game.
Fair and unbiased drawing of winners is an important component of any prize draw. The process must be transparent and conducted by random selection. Here is a detailed guide to a successful draw.
The rules of the prize game must ensure the equality of all participants and the equal opportunity to win after fulfilling the conditions prescribed by the rules of the organizer of the prize game.
Rulebook on organizing prize games (Narodne novine 87/2009): The organizer is responsible for the rules being applied and enforced. When drawing the winners, we have to make sure that all the provisions of the rules are respected - from the right to participate to checking the validity of the applications drawn.
Before the drawing, it is necessary to prepare a database of applications. We must remove incorrect, incomplete and inaccurate data. There are many examples like: invalid entries: late entries, generally entries received outside of the sweepstakes period
incomplete registrations: registrations without mandatory information, for example, entered account number without any contact information
incorrect applications: applications where the data is clearly incorrect, and so on. It is important to do all actions responsibly and professionally. If there is even the slightest possibility that the application is valid, it should be left in the drawing and an additional check should be made when verifying the winner.
We have an additional challenge in the national prize games that are held at all points of sale, so we have different invoice formats. One (same) account number should enter the winner's draw only once, unless otherwise specified by the rules. That's why we have to remove multiple copies of the same data. This technique is called deduplication in computing.
During the draw, there must be at least three people in the commission who will confirm the accuracy of the facts stated in the minutes by signature. A notary public must be present if an individual prize with a value greater than EUR 6,636.14 is drawn. This provision applies to the value of an individual prize and not to the total value of the prize pool. For every drawing of a higher value prize such as a car, consumer cards with higher amounts and the like, a notary public must be present to establish the facts. Organizers can also invite a notary public for "smaller" draws, where this is not mandatory.
The drawing record must contain:
- Place and time of drawing,
- Class and order number, date of approval of the prize draw,
- The date and name of the electronic or other public media in which the rules of the prize game were published,
- Names and surnames and addresses of commission members,
- Method of drawing winners,
- Name and surname and address of the winner,
- The name and value of the prize of the individual winner.
There are also other obligations of the prize game organizer. Inform the winners in writing about the received prize within 8 days from the day of drawing the prize winners. Ensure that the prize is collected or sent to the winner within 30 days from the day of receipt of the written notification about the prize received. If the winner does not claim the prize within the specified period, he must be notified again within 8 days (from the expiry of the deadline from the previous point) and set an additional deadline for claiming the prize, which cannot be shorter than 8 nor longer than 15 days from the receipt of the new notification. Within 8 days after the expiration of the deadline for claiming prizes, submit to the Ministry of Finance information about the winners of prizes worth more than EUR 663.61, the name and value of the prize, and proof of receiving the prize.
The drawing of the winner of the prize game is the moment when we randomly selected an application. However, the drawing process starts much earlier, because it is necessary to conscientiously and thoroughly carry out preparatory actions so that everything is transparent and in accordance with the rules.
Every participant in the prize draw hopes to win, and the organizer's obligation is to draw prize winners in a fair and transparent manner. We can make the implementation of the draw simpler by putting in the rules those provisions that we will be able to responsibly implement when choosing the prize game mechanism. After the draw is over, the most beautiful moment for the winners follows - the notification of the prize won.
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