Trade Promotion Lotteries are a great way to get involved with your customers and a fantastic selling point. A TPL is a game, contest or lottery, run by a business, in order to promote the business and the goods and services they offer. Generally, it is a free-entry competition, however a lottery which is entered into on the basis of purchasing goods or services from the business, is allowed (e.g. where proof of purchase is a set requirement.) The competition cannot be based on skill, unless qualified or expert judges are used and the judgment is based on a specific criteria.

A permit is required to conduct a Trade Promotion Lottery and a fee is to be paid, based on the retail value of the prizes awarded. Information on these guidelines can be found at http://www.license.nsw.gov.au . A permit application must be submitted at least 2 weeks before the intended launch of the lottery. The permit is granted for a specific time period, up to 12 months.

There are rules which govern the conduct of all TPL's. These include restriction of certain prizes, such as tobacco, firearms, weapons etc, equal opportunity for all entrants, clearly displayed rules, terms and conditions, details of qualifying requirements, date of prize draw etc. These rules can be found on the NSW Government website, under the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.

There are lots of different ways you can run your own, individual TPL. Get creative and start thinking of ideas for competitions and giveaways. They are a great way to attract business, impress your customers and advertise your company.

Go to http://wwwdb.dgr.nsw.gov.au to download an application form today.