# 'Beat the Clock' - but only for Canadians winners

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-the-clock-but-only-for-canadians-winners/77543>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 22, 2001, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-the-clock-but-only-for-canadians-winners/77543 "2001-08-22T14:30:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-the-clock-but-only-for-canadians-winners/77543/1 "2001-08-22T14:30:54Z")

</div>

I have an entry form for a contest (one year free membership to a Bally Total Fitness health club - I had picked it up while waiting for my lunch). Quoting from the rules on the back:

**8.** \<snip\> **…Canadian residents whose entry forms are drawn must successfully complete a timed skill testing question in order to receive the prize.**

This is not the first time I’ve seen this sort of requirement. No other countries are mentioned, nor is there the soloist ‘Void in Québec’.

Is this a U.S. or Canadian requirement for contests? What is its purpose?

If any Canadians have won, what sort of questions are involved and what time limits? And what the heck is a “skill testing question”?

[Side note - I wrote to the PR Department of the company (quite some time ago) and have yet to receive an answer.]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-the-clock-but-only-for-canadians-winners/77543/2 "2001-08-22T14:37:40Z")

</div>

Guess: Pure lotteries are illegal in Canada but “games of skill” are not. The timed skill test is probably easy enough that anyone could pass it and is just a formality.

Haj

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beat-the-clock-but-only-for-canadians-winners/77543/3 "2001-08-22T18:57:10Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by hajario \*  
> \*\*Guess: Pure lotteries are illegal in Canada but “games of skill” are not. The timed skill test is probably easy enough that anyone could pass it and is just a formality.  
> Haj \*\*

Lotteries are not illegal in Canada-- They can be run  
by government agencies and native groups.

“Raffles”, (with non-cash prizes,) are legal for fund-raising for non-profit organizations.

Similar schemes, (eg “scratch & win” promotions for commercial outfits,) must meet the “game of skill” requirement. Usually, these are simple (single-digit) arithmetic questions. If anybody ever slipped up on one, the embarassment would last far, far longer than the disappointment of missing out on a free cheeseburger. I doubt that this has _ever_ happened, though.

(5 + 2) - 4? … Can you give me a hint?