Believe me, if it were up to us, we would be happy to let residents of all states enter sweepstakes run by tobacco and alcohol sponsors. However, some states have chosen to bar their residents from entering certain sweepstakes. The 21+ rule makes sense, so that only people who can legally use a product are able to enter the sweepstakes. It is frustrating, though, when a sponsor runs a sweepstakes with great prizes and your state says you can't enter.
Massachusetts and Michigan – sorry, your states won't let you enter sweepstakes sponsored by tobacco companies. Marlboro is a particularly generous sponsor that runs lots of sweepstakes with really nice prizes. We appreciate their excellent sweepstakes and regret that residents of these two states cannot participate.
California and Tennessee – it's alcohol sponsors that your state restricts. Sometimes Utah also restricts them too. Sometimes Tennessee will let you enter by mail for a prize that is not related to alcohol. However, online entry is never an option. The state of California does not offer any alternate entry options, even if the prize is non-alcoholic.
Every year, the Sutter Home winery in California runs a Build a Better Burger contest with large cash prizes. The wine is made in California, a state known for its innovative cuisine. However, residents of California cannot enter their burger recipes and participate in this contest. These sorts of restrictions help reduce the prize competition in the remaining states, but it kind of stinks for the folks who weren't able to enter that sweepstakes.
Send to states that don’t have these laws, like AZ. I just won $20 card from Camel.