# Skills testing to win prize in Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848 "2015-02-05T00:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EdwinAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@EdwinAmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinAmi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/1 "2015-02-05T00:09:27Z")
So, we was eating out at Applebee’s My friend notices on the bill that along with all the small print legal mumbo jumbo for a sweepstakes offered on the bill receipt is “Canadian winners subject to skills testing” Picture should be attached, if not I will attach in comments Anyway, so we got to wondering. What the hell are they talking about? Why would Canadian customers be subject to skills testing? Best I can come up with is, from what I understand, financial regulations in Canada are VERY conservative, in the financial sense. Canadian banks largely escaped the housing crash because they had never even been ALLOWED to make crappy loans, because the mortgage-loan process is so detailed/regulated. So I’m guessing that what it is is the Canadian government won’t let citizens even win money without first checking that they won’t start over-spending like an idiot and end up destitute like other lottery winners have. Is that it? What the dilly, yo? ---
**Author:** ![EdwinAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@EdwinAmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinAmi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/2 "2015-02-05T00:12:10Z")
http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t606/Edwin\_Amirsaleh/skills%20tesing\_zps4ifljpwc.jpg"][http://i1316.photobucket.com/albums/t606/Edwin\_Amirsaleh/skills%20tesing\_zps4ifljpwc.jpg](http://s1316.photobucket.com/user/Edwin_Amirsaleh/media/skills%20tesing_zps4ifljpwc.jpg.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/3 "2015-02-05T00:19:50Z")
> [@EdwinAmi](#): > > So I’m guessing that what it is is the Canadian government won’t let citizens even win money without first checking that they won’t start over-spending like an idiot and end up destitute like other lottery winners have. > > Is that it? > What the dilly, yo? No. We’re a nanny state, but not that much of a nanny state. The purpose of the skill testing question is to transform the contest from an illegal game of chance to a legal game of skill. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/4 "2015-02-05T00:24:40Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > No. We’re a nanny state, but not that much of a nanny state. The purpose of the skill testing question is to transform the contest from an illegal game of chance to a legal game of skill. What kind of skills testing is actually done? Is it more or less trivial, or do some companies set up tough challenges? What, I have to memorize two whole pages of the phone book? With only 20 minutes of study? ---
**Author:** ![EdwinAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@EdwinAmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinAmi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/5 "2015-02-05T00:29:11Z")
> [@](#): > > The purpose of the skill testing question is to transform the contest from an illegal game of chance to a legal game of skill. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… that’s SO stupid. That really made me LOL. That really sounds so stupid. They couldn’t just write the anti-gambling laws to have exceptions for “lotteries” entered into from purchases? That super simple and common and harmless advertising mechanism? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/6 "2015-02-05T00:37:25Z")
Information about Canadian sweepstakes for American companies from the [Sweepstakes Law Blog](http://www.thompsoncoburn.com/news-and-information/sweepstakes-law-blog/blog/13-06-26/what-you-need-to-know-about-canadian-sweepstakes-and-contest-regulations.aspx). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/7 "2015-02-05T00:38:58Z")
From what I understand, the “skills test” is usually a trivial math problem, like 2+2 = 4. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Joker_and_the_Thief)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/8 "2015-02-05T00:42:16Z")
That’s a uh… pretty big bag you got there. Might want to take that down. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/9 "2015-02-05T00:44:37Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > What kind of skills testing is actually done? Is it more or less trivial, or do some companies set up tough challenges? What, I have to memorize two whole pages of the phone book? With only 20 minutes of study? Australian states have the same laws, and the “skills test” usually involves something as complicated as changing the wording from “the first entry drawn” to “the first, neatest entry drawn” or “The first, correct entry drawn”. A judge then decides that you have written your name an phone number neatly. Or you have to solve some devilishly clever puzzle like “Fill in the blanks to name a popular family Restaurant: A\_ple\_ees”. It seems bizarre that something as simple as being arbitrarily judged as having neat handwriting when drawn at random from a barrel circumvents the lottery laws, but there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/10 "2015-02-05T00:55:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > From what I understand, the “skills test” is usually a trivial math problem, like 2+2 = 4. You would think that would be it, but I’ve never seen one so simple. It’s usually more like: (3X6)-(2X5)+2. They never try to catch you with an order of operations clause. If you don’t understand parentheses though you’re screwed. ---
**Author:** ![EdwinAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5fc32e/32.png) [@EdwinAmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinAmi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/11 "2015-02-05T02:34:28Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s a uh… pretty big bag you got there. Might want to take that down. It’s a bag of Maypop leaves. I was trying to give it away, as it’s an herbal sleep aid. And anyway, it’s photobucket, not facebook I’m the furthest thing from a pothead. If I weren’t, I wouldn’t even know what Maypops are or grown them… and I’d probably get laid more ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/12 "2015-02-05T03:29:23Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Australian states have the same laws, and the “skills test” usually involves something as complicated as changing the wording from “the first entry drawn” to “the first, neatest entry drawn” or “The first, correct entry drawn”. A judge then decides that you have written your name an phone number neatly. Or you have to solve some devilishly clever puzzle like “Fill in the blanks to name a popular family Restaurant: A\_ple\_ees”. > > It seems bizarre that something as simple as being arbitrarily judged as having neat handwriting when drawn at random from a barrel circumvents the lottery laws, but there you have it. I remember that a favourite one at school fetes used to require the missing letters to be filled in for GUESS\_NG C\_MPETITION. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/13 "2015-02-05T15:52:46Z")
Just to nitpick - not all contests require a skill testing question. The big ones like Lotto 6-49 certainly don’t. Even small ones don’t necessarily require one, **BUT** such contests have very specific rules, most notably that they must be charity-related. I’m a volunteer at a local hospital and I sell “Nevada” tickets (aka pull-tab tickets) twice a week. You win, I give you your prize money (or more tickets if you prefer) no questions asked. The profits do go to charity (in particular, to the hospital I am selling them in). ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/14 "2015-02-05T17:30:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > You would think that would be it, but I’ve never seen one so simple. It’s usually more like: (3X6)-(2X5)+2. They never try to catch you with an order of operations clause. If you don’t understand parentheses though you’re screwed. According to the blog link above, the question has to be “multi-step and multi-operational”. My guess is, Canandian lawmakers realized that skills questions like “What is 1+1?” were comically stupid, but rather than do the sensible thing and say “Screw it,” they made system a bit more onerous. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/15 "2015-02-05T17:42:31Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > You would think that would be it, but I’ve never seen one so simple. It’s usually more like: (3X6)-(2X5)+2. Laws are similar in France, and no skill test is as complicated as this one (never heard about any mathematical skill test, in fact). Typically, it’s rather, something like : “The capital of France is : A)Paris B)Timbuktu” ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/16 "2015-02-05T18:11:57Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Laws are similar in France, and no skill test is as complicated as this one (never heard about any mathematical skill test, in fact). > > Typically, it’s rather, something like : > > “The capital of France is : A)Paris B)Timbuktu” Same here in the UK. We, like most European countries have a state lottery (ours is privatised but it is still a state thing). To run a lottery needs a licence which is hard to get, so many competitions - we see them on TV programmes all the time - have trivial questions as above. ---
**Author:** ![vomit\_comet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/73ab20/32.png) [@vomit\_comet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vomit_comet)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/17 "2015-02-05T18:42:34Z")
The probably just want to know if people can use the words “was” and "were " in a grammatically correct fasion. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/18 "2015-02-05T18:44:46Z")
Much the same here - the promotion or game e.g. ‘spot-the-ball’, must involve an element of something other than pure chance to sidestep the laws on gambling (which originally forbade gambling away from the race track or the casino). ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/19 "2015-02-05T19:41:33Z")
While this Canadian has matured past making silly rape jokes, I still get a chuckle from my old thread about how Subway Scrabble [underhandedly revoked my $15 gift card](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=517807). ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848/20 "2015-02-05T21:56:07Z")
There are of course laws against gambling in the United States, but the usual loophole that allows sweepstakes is that it’s OK to _give away_ prizes as long as you don’t charge customers to play. Hence the inevitable American wording of “No purchase necessary”–you can come in and ask for the sweepstakes ticket that they normally give away with a purchase, but they know that most people are too embarrassed to do it. I’m surprised to hear that this doesn’t work in Canada. It seems less cheesy than a “skills test”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skills-testing-to-win-prize-in-canada/711848.md?page=2)