Many chase the thrill of anticipation before winning something valuable for free.
Whether it’s the promise of a vacation or the instant gratification of receiving a gift card for your favorite store, there are a variety of prizes out there, ready and waiting to be snapped up.
With the holidays on the horizon, many retail giants, such as Target, Walmart, and Microsoft, are offering perhaps their best giveaways yet.
But what are the USA’s favorite sweepstakes prizes, and where will you find the most sweepstakes-obsessed locations?
Well, with over 50% of Americans regularly participating in online sweepstakes, we thought it was time to find out!
USA’s favorite sweepstake prizes
Up first, let’s dive into Americans’ favorite free giveaways.
From subscriptions to gift cards and even dream vacations, there are a variety of prizes at the top of many Americans’ wish lists:
1. Subscriptions (11.65M)
The only thing better than a free prize is a free prize that keeps on giving, so it’s not all that surprising that subscriptions top our list with a score of 11.65M.
Netflix has an individual search volume of 5.0M, while Audible follows with a search volume of 1.0M, showing just how popular this prize is.
2. Travel (8.08M)
With the promise of jetting off to a new, exciting location, it’s not difficult to see why travel-related sweepstakes prizes are popular too.
Travel has a total search volume of 8.08M, with hotel vouchers showing an individual search volume of 6.1M (the highest overall). Plane tickets are in demand, too (evidenced by the search volume of 1.2M).
3. Gift cards (6.56M)
Next, we have the ever-popular gift card (with a slightly lower score of 6.56M). But what kinds of gift cards are Americans hoping to win?
Well, the most in-demand are Target gift cards and Ulta Beauty gift cards, boasting scores of 3.4M and 1.0 M, respectively.
4. Food (5.99M)
According to our study, food is the fourth most popular sweepstakes prize in the US, with a score of 5.99M.
There are various desirable options, whether it’s the allure of free fast food or perhaps a grocery store voucher.
Dinner vouchers have a search volume of 1.5M, and cookies also have an impressively high search volume of 823K.
5. Electronics (5.94M)
With a search volume of 5.94M, electronics steals the fifth spot in our ranking. Many are eager to get their hands on the latest gadgets (minus the hefty price tag).
But what kinds of electronic sweepstakes prizes are Americans searching for?
Well, ‘Airpods’ has a search volume of 1.8M, and ‘iPad’ has a similarly high search volume of 1.2M.
While we’ve outlined the top five, various other prize categories entered our ranking. Vacations (96.090) are in sixth place, followed by home appliances (86,630).
Many Americans are searching for National Park tour tickets (1.2M) and appliances such as barbeque grills (1.2M).
In eighth place, we have vehicles (51,780), and plenty of people (1.5 M) are on the hunt for cars.
Next up, we have fashion, scoring 41,820, with Rolex watches boasting a search volume of 1.5M. Finally, ‘tickets’ has a search volume of 33,890, so while it’s certainly not the highest on our list, it’s still a notable amount!
The most sweepstakes-obsessed states
While sweepstakes are loved nationwide, some states, in particular, show considerable interest in snapping up free prizes.
So, let’s explore the top ten states, touching on what they’re most excited to win:
1. California (8.02M)
California leads the way with a score of 8.02M. When it comes to sweepstakes prizes, Californians are eager to get their hands on subscriptions (1,539,820), as well as gift cards (1,182,040).
2. Texas (5.13M)
Coming in a close second, we have Texas, which has a score of 5.13M.
Texans also love to snap up free subscriptions, although they seem less interested in beauty, fitness, and shopping-related sweepstakes. We found that those in the state also prefer travel prizes over gift cards!
3. Florida (4.10M)
Florida is next on our list, with a score of 4.10M. Floridians seem particularly interested in travel and vacation sweepstakes (508,020 and 201,710). Equally, interest is high in electronics, food, and home appliances.
4. New York (3.96M)
Next up is New York, with a total score of 3.96M. Those in New York are eager to win subscriptions (822,010) and electronics (403,030).
However, there is less interest in shopping-related sweepstakes (coming in at the lower figure of 35,000).
5. Illinois (2.11M)
With a score of 2.11M, Illinois steals the spot at our ranking’s mid-point. Again, those in Illinois are eager to win travel prizes over gift cards (313,520 to 211,270), and food and home appliances are popular too.
Pennsylvania and Georgia round out our top ten, scoring 1.93M and 1.84 M, respectively. North Carolina comes in eighth place (1.68M), and Ohio steals the ninth spot (1.62M).
Finally, we have New Jersey, totaling a score of 1.59M.
What companies offer the best sweepstakes during the holiday season?
During the holidays, sweepstakes are more popular than ever.
But which brands are offering the best of the best? Well, Walmart is offering $1,000 gift cards for a few grand prize winners and $100 gift cards for hundreds more participants—something you certainly won’t want to miss.
Through their “Year of BARK” promotion, Target is partnering with BARK to give away $150 gift cards, redeemable for a year’s worth of BARK pet products.
Brands such as Coca-Cola are also participating, offering their “Holiday Hour Instant Win Game” which will see 76,000 winners.
Next, we have Ferrero Rocher, which is hosting the “Add Your Golden Touch Sweepstakes.” With prizes ranging from chocolate treats to gift cards, you won’t want to miss them if you’re a brand fan.
If you’re into tech-related sweepstakes, you’re bound to love Microsoft’s offerings. Their festive promotions usually include Xbox-related giveaways, which are promoted via their social media pages.
Finally, iHeart Radio’s “Granting Your Christmas Wish Sweepstakes” game offers winners up to $5,000 to fulfill their holiday wishes.
So, there we have it: our insights on the most popular sweepstakes prizes in the US. There are various prizes to win, from subscriptions to gift cards and even home appliances.
And with various companies offering huge giveaways in the run-up to Christmas, who’s to say you won’t be the next winner?
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Finally, for more insights like this, check out the rest of the High 5 Casino blog.
Methodology
This study ranks all 50 US states based on their obsession with sweepstakes.
To do so, 173 keywords relevant to sweepstakes were analyzed in Google Keyword Planner to provide search volumes for each term.
Next, each keyword was given a category based on its relevancy. For example, the search term “smartphone + sweepstakes” was classed under electronics.
The categories include but are not limited to subscription, travel, gift card, food, electronics, vacation, fashion, cash prizes, DIY, beauty, and vehicles.
The data was then split by state to allow for comparisons. The higher the search volume, the higher the “prize” ranks on the list.