Competition rules template
Rules and conditions for contests on social media or the web
This document rests on a fixed pattern prepared by Paragrafo; it is not a law firm template. Its wording is not written by AI, only the details from the form are filled in. For a non-standard situation we recommend a solicitor.
Law in force as at
Podmienky súťaže
- 1. Organizátor
- 2. Trvanie súťaže
- 3. Kto sa môže zúčastniť
- 4. Ako sa zapojiť
- 5. Výhry
- 6. Určenie výhercu
Competition rules set out how a consumer competition works: who can enter, how entries are judged, what the prizes are and how they are handed over. For competitions on social networks, the rules of the platform itself apply on top.
The two areas most often underestimated in competitions are the processing of entrants' personal data and the line between a competition and gambling.
Who needs this document
- Companies running competitions on Facebook or Instagram
- Online shops running a competition for a product or a discount
- Brands working with influencers on competitions
What the document must contain
- Identification of the organiser of the competition
- The duration of the competition with an exact start and end
- The conditions of entry and who is eligible to take part
- The mechanism for determining the winner
- A description of the prize and how it is handed over
- The processing of entrants' personal data, including the legal basis
- A statement that the competition is neither organised nor sponsored by the social network
Legal basis
Nariadenie (EÚ) 2016/679 (GDPR)
Applies to the processing of entrants' data.
Zákon č. 108/2024 Z. z. o ochrane spotrebiteľa
Applies to the information duties and to unfair commercial practices.
Právna úprava hazardných hier
What matters is the line between a consumer competition and a game of chance, particularly where chance decides the prize and entry is paid for.
Most common mistakes
Requiring a stake in a competition where chance decides the prize
If entry depends on a payment and chance decides the prize, this may be a game of chance with its own regulatory regime. That line has to be assessed in advance.
No statement of independence from the social network
Facebook and Instagram both require the rules to state expressly that the competition is neither organised nor sponsored by them. Without it, the platform may take the competition down.
Publishing the winner with no legal basis
Publishing a name and a photograph is processing of personal data. The rules have to state the basis on which it happens.
A vague mechanism for choosing the winner
Wording such as “the most creative answer”, with no criteria and no statement of who decides, tends to produce disputes and complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Does an Instagram competition need written rules?
In practice rules are essential. They set the conditions of entry, deal with entrants' personal data and are required by the platforms themselves.
When does a competition become a game of chance?
What matters is whether entry is conditional on a stake and whether chance decides the prize. That line is worth assessing before the competition goes live.
Do I have to pay tax on a prize?
The tax treatment of prizes is governed by tax legislation and depends on the type and the value of the prize. A specific case is worth discussing with a tax adviser.
Competition rules for your business
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