I like joining lottery but chain lottery make me think twice because sometimes I don’t have time to host a new chain lottery during the five days period. I avoid chain lottery and join the normal lottery which interested me.
I like people to number their entry post and one main reason is knowing that they have read the “Terms and Conditions” of the lottery first before joining.
As a host, I like that people are not joining blindly just for the prize.
Interesting topic. I like to host lotteries. I like asking a question and reading the responses. For me it is fun learning about people’s interests, likes, etc. I usually only have my lottery open less than a day. I prefer to have better odds to winning with having a lottery open just a few hours. I do disqualify entries that do not answer my question 
AT least read the entry rather than just responding to the photo of the lottery item.
I don’t do chain lotteries. I don’t like the feeling I am pressuring someone to do a lottery.
This is super interesting to read! 
As I am considering hosting a lottery soon (again), I keep thinking of “the rules” for my lottery. Because, unfortunately, in the past I have been (very) disappointed by people winning my lotteries, that would not even inform me about having received my card, that they have won (assuming it has arrived!), let alone thank me for it.
I find that bad behaviour and rude! It would never occur to me to not thank someone for snailmail I have received from her/him!!!
But, of course, I can’t know that in advance, so might have to live with that, again.
Like someone hosting a chain lottery and then the chain is discontinued by a winner.
I only enter “normal” (= not chain) lotteries and those are the ones I host.
I also only enter lotteries, where the price really interests me.
During 2022, I hosted a fair number of Lotteries - both both stamps and postcards. The postcards were usually in Groups of four, Unwritten cards of various subjects. These included Bridges, Maps, City Views, Natural Scenery, Lighthouses, etc. The stamp offers have ranged from First Day Covers to used stamp sets (like the US 50 state flags) to stamp assortments.
The number generator I use is:
Unlike other hosts, I never start my lotteries with the #1. Rather, I begin with #100; the next lottery will be #200 and so on until I reach #900 and then I start over. The member entering the lottery looks at the member above them and enters the next number along with their country. This works 97% of the time. On occasion, a member will use the same number, but other members usually jump in and alert them/me to the goof.
I hope to set up some new lotteries soon. Lord knows I have acquired so much new material I don’t need, it has to go somewhere. 
As a participant I’ve had a few wins! And that’s super exciting for me because I generally don’t win things lol. But I’ve gotten a few really neat postcards from these lotteries. One was a chain lottery and so I got to host one. That went interestingly; it just so happened that my laptop broke the day before I was supposed to send my postcards out so I had to postpone/extend the lottery. But eventually I was able to get back on postcrossing and send the card out!
I’m loving this post! I’ve dabbled in lotteries, but I really just enjoy the straightforward official Postcrossing best. But here’s a couple questions I’ve been dying to ask. First off, my questions only pertain to regular lotteries, not a chain lottery.
If I do a lottery, am I allowed to set the rules?
Are we required to use random selection? In other words, if I ask for some sort of response with the “entry,” can I select someone who has what I feel is has best response?
Can I request that the person must agree to acknowledge that they received the postcard? I know that doesn’t guarantee a reply, but it would make it more likely. I would hate to take the effort to do a lottery for something special and then never know that the person received it.
I think my “rules” might make it more of a contest than a lottery. Is that allowed?
Thanks!
One of the rules in one of the lotteries I hosted was that the receipt of the card would have to be acknowledged and still not everybody did! 
Honestly, best response is so subjective I’d avoid that. Or, perhaps two winners - one truly random and the other your ‘choice’ - though I might not actually say that 
Oh, yeah … if the winner doesn’t acknowledge within a few days, I’d draw again.
I’ve hosted 46 lotteries in the last 10 or so months (11 were chain lotteries and the rest were “no strings attached.”) Lately I’ve kept them super simple - no numbering of entrants (I felt bad when numbering got mixed up and people were “disqualified” for a simple mistake) and entry is something like posting an emoji. If rules get too complicated I think lotteries can become less accessible to people (language barriers making things more complicated than necessary or tech capabilities limiting who feels like they can enter for example.) That’s just how I arrange lotteries for now - I’m glad others organize the more conversational ones or competition/challenge/puzzle ones. The variety means people can enter what they want to and pass by the others. I offer things that I have fun sharing. Acknowledgement of receipt is nice, I then feel the closure of knowing things have arrived, but I don’t take it personally if I don’t hear back. These are games to me - I offer what I want to when I want to and I hope to brighten someone’s day. These days I’m satisfied with that! Maybe later I’ll host some more complicated/involved ones.
Oh wow! It seems that I was not alone with my thoughts, ideas and questions. 
I’m really glad and grateful that my topic was approved by the mods! 
When I created this topic, I couldn’t write everything down, mainly because I forgot to mention. But @Queen_of_the_Hounds comment reminded me of similar experiences. As a host I am sometimes disappointed if the winner is someone who just didn’t put effort in their entry, especially when a question or “task” was given. Even more so when others did put a lot of thought and effort into their entrances. This only applies when the task, etc. is mandatory. If it is optional, you cannot really blame people for going the easy way.
If people do not play by the rules, maybe they should be excluded from winning–which makes it more difficult in the end when it comes to picking one or more winners. Maybe there should be a note at the beginning that entrances are excluded if they don’t answer or put no effort into their posts. Makes only sense if the fee was mandatory, if it was optional you cannot exclude them of course.
Sometimes I take some time, before I inform the host that the won item has arrived but I do my best to do so. This might be the case when I have a lot of things going on in my life or somethings is in the way. But I really do inform the host. Therefore, I understand your disappointment when you receive no info whether the postcard arrived or not. I mean, in the end they participated in the lottery, BECAUSE they wanted to win the prize.
And yes, I have also made the experience that the winner of my chain lottery didn’t start a new one. Honestly, these were the rules you agreed to when entering this chain lottery. Your idea of sending the prize off after they have started the new chain lottery, might be a good idea. I will keep it in mind. 
@Molletje Yes, a lottery requires you to pay a small or lagre (!) fee, depending on the lottery and its prize. Therefore, I think it’s totally okay if lottery hosts ask you here for a “fee”. I haven’t encountered any lottery so far, where you had to do “a lot”. Do you have examples? And what would you consider as “a lot to do first”?
Please keep in mind that the host paid in advance for the items they raffle off (in the majority of cases)–AND they pay for the postage to get the raffled off item to the actual winner. As an example: I cannot raffle off fat envelopes or a lot of stuff at the same time, because sending fat mail is no longer possible in Germany. If I want to do so, I have to send a parcel and the postage for parcels, especially for international ones, are expensive! Thus, I keep this option for my friends.
Needless to say, they put some time and effort into creating and organising a lottery too. That’s why I do not understand that you don’t like the idea of paying a “prize” in advance. Compared to the effort the host has to make (finanically, temporally, etc.) the majority of “required fees” here are nothing. Nothing in life is for free and giving away some postcards, washi tape, etc. costs the host money, time and effort. But maybe I did miss those demanding lotteries. Your perspective seems to be a bit more of the participant rather than the host, that is my perception but I could be mistaken. The obligation in my opinion is: No pain, no gain.
This sounds a bit demanding and contracdictionary too. You cannot make everyone happy (that would be a dream) and if organising just one lottery was already much trouble for you (I understand all your reasons, as I have felt them myself!!!), than you alreday know what that means for the majority of hosts.
If I see a lottery in which I cannot really participate in (be it I don’t know what to write, the task/question does not apply to me, whatever), I don’t–not because I’m disappointed but because I want (!) to play by the rules. After all, it’s their lottery and their rules. And they know what effort they put in organising it. And maybe the raffled items were expensive. Some have a bit of a everything-for-free-and-granted mentallity here sometimes.
Here comes your interesting and valid point: It should come from wirthin. Yes, absolutely.
However, it will also mean that one small part of the forum members here will never host a lottery (out of their own free will) (or only once) but always try to participate in every other one they can find, while the rest will be the hosts.
When I first entered the forum, and later the lottery section, chain lotteries where quite popular and already there–I just played by the rules. Just like other members I have also witnessed a decline in their popularity. Maybe as a community we have to rethink chain lotteries. 
If chain lotteries were abolished or ended, will there be any (normal) lotteries? 
As I entered postcrossing rather late, I don’t know how and why exactly chain lotteries were “invented”. Probably to keep them alive and spread the joy. According to the responses here, I’d say they were a tool to let others have a chance at winning something.
@mchay Recently I haven’t participated much in any lotteries but I noticed this too. I guess, in the beginning many forum members want to participate in every available lottery but later they become more thoughtful (at least I hope so) to give others a chance. And yes, I abolished the “write your name down” in my lotteries as well. It serves no purpose and is redundant.
What if there would be only 1 or 2 chain lotteries running at the same time? Both hosts would have to have the same duration period, otherwise it would go out of control again. I suppose this is how all the multiple chain lotteries we have now came to life out of a single one … ? And would people here be satisfied with just one or two running? And should the one be simple and the other one complicated to make the majority here content?
I think this is quite impossible. But so far I got some insight from ALL of you that helps me for my lotteries in the future.
And I hope lotteries will be still a part of this forum.
I think there will still be lotteries, even if there would (for whatever reason) be no more chain lotteries. 
I like to host lotteries, also as I like to participate.
By hosting I like it, when the participants read what I’m writing and “doing” that. For example I once put a little “game” in a lottery. (Only to put two emojis in it). Some do and some not. Or I asked a question and I love to read the answers, because I learned a lot. And yes, in such a case I hope, that someone wins who reads what I write and answers questions or take part in little games. For me this is more fun than only wrote a number and “Thank you” (some participants also can’t write this!).
Normally I ask the participants to number themself’s, because so I minimize my fault when I’m counting. - And I ask to write the name. I know that this is silly, but I started with this and it is in my mind and I always forget about it. 
At a participant I only take part if I really like the card or what is offered (okay I like a lot so sometimes it’s a lot I take part). And if there is a question I try my best to answer it, because it’s fun. But I also respect if the holster only wants Numbers and names.
And I understand when people don’t like chain lotteries, but for me it is something great, because the participants don’t only take (like in some normal lotteries). It minimize the “only taking” part a little. But I like both. Normal and chain.
If you work, the wage you receive must be appropriate to the work you do.
(What you give and what you get are equal.)
If you buy something, the price must match the value of the product or service.
(What you give and what you get are equal.)
When you exchange something, you also want what you get to be equal to what you give.
But a lottery is always (I think) that you pay a small prize and have a chance to win a bigger prize.
For example, you buy a lottery ticket for € 2.50 or € 5.00 and you can win (this is just a random example) € 1000. It would be strange if you had to buy a €1000 lottery ticket if you win a €1000 prize. Right?
So in a chain lottery you can win a card and you also have to pay with a card (new lottery in the chain). (What you can win is equal to what you pay to participate). That’s not a lottery. Then you are buying or exchanging something.
If you then also have to comply with all kinds of things in the response (name, number, answer questions, tell something, photo / link / share something, etc) then what you put in the lottery is more than what you can win.
(At least, that’s how I experience it, but that’s my personal opinion - It’s okay if others experience it differently. I’m just explaining why I choose not to participate in chain lotteries. I don’t mind not participating in chain lotteries. But whoever likes it, can of course do it.)
If you have a card that you want to exchange, for a card that someone pay forward & extensive response in which you have to write several things, there is nothing wrong with that. But I don’t think it’s a lottery, but a swap or trade or exchange or something. So there’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t think that the lottery-board is the right place to do that. (Because it’s not a lottery.)
There is nothing wrong with asking for a small fee. In the sense of a question or something small to do, such as 2 emoticons which is just mentioned. Especially to ensure that the responses do not only consist of name and number, there is nothing wrong with that. But keep in mind it’s a lottery.
Postcrossing is a hobby, so is participation in the forum. No one is obliged to organize a lottery. (Unless you participate in a chain lottery).
Organize a lottery if you really want to give something away, without wanting (too) much in return. Do you want something in return? There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s absolutely okay. Then choose a swap or trade or something like that.
In the cash lotteries you also do not have to organize a new lottery if you have won. Because otherwise you can participate in all lotteries, without organizing anything yourself.
And with “paying it forward” … It could also be that you enter a lottery, win a blank postcard there, and then use that card in a RAS a few months later. That too is “paying it forward”.
Just because someone doesn’t want to organize a lottery doesn’t mean they just “take”. Maybe they “give” other things at another time, in another place.
Some people like to be their own boss and have their own business. Other people prefer to be employees. Nothing wrong with that, right? Some people enjoy organizing lotteries, others enjoy participating, and some do both. Nothing wrong with that, right?
I really don’t understand these comparisons…
A lottery in the true sense of the word always involves a fee that is put forward to the financing of the prize(s) and they usually also raise money for the organizer, and you are comparing directly with cash lotteries.
However, no amount of nice messages from Postcrossers will buy me a stamp at the post office.
And in the other direction… if there is no fee, but some unconditional hearfelt gift, it’s also not a lottery, but a giveaway.
I also find it difficult comparing the monetary value of a postcard and postage (and possibly time to organize the “lottery”, collect address, write and mail the prize card) to the value of a comment from a participant. If somebody offered me a list of people’s favourite dishes or yesterday’s weather for 2,50 EUR and half an hour of my time (average investment when I’m hosting), I would kindly decline the offer. Apparently, you value these comments higher than I do, which is fine, but this makes it quite impossible to have an objective conclusion of the fairness/balance between “fee” and prize.
Everybody must make their own evaluation if they think it’s worth it for them.
If you feel what you give and what you get are not equal, don’t enter into the deal, same as with work. If you hate the job offered or think you are underpaid or boh - apply elsewhere. And while most people need to work to sustain themselves, nobody needs to enter lotteries 
For me, asking people questions when I host lotteries is more for entertainment purposes, to keep the forum interesting, and not really for my own “gain”. I can also see the viewpoint of members who said the participant should like the card enough to at least read and follow the rules for the particular lottery, and not just enter all of them to “grab what they can”.
If you say some like to be bosses and some like to be empoyees and some like to be both, this is the answer - some like chain lotteries, some don’t, nobody is forced to participate in a chain and nobody is forced to participate in lotteries at all.
General point at the end describing me as a participant: I only enter if I’d really like to win the prize and if I know I will be around to send my address after the draw. And for me it is common courtesy to acknowledge when I have received it.
I wanted to write here earlier, but now I had time to read the comments first…
As far as I know, one person came up with this idea and first the chain even got numbers… '66 and so on, but then there were people who did not only had lotteries for one person to win, but for more - I guess you can imagine what happened… aftr a while the numbers stopped (as far as I noticed).
I think the reason for the shain was not to let others have a chnace at winning, but to stop people who just wanted to grab as much as possible… There are some member as mentioned above, who do not even read the first post and just number tjhemselves for anything… a chain was probably (in my opinion) a tool to prevent that behaviour.
As far as I know, as a host you are allowed to set the rules. So if you want certain kind of comments you are free to ask for AND you also can give the postcard to the nicest comment. Although I agree that @Johnk60 is right, somehow it is nicer to choose one random and the other one for the comment. I participated in lotteries like that and I hosted something liek that as well.
Of course -myny hosts do that! It is just normal that you would like to know! By the way - nearly all winners told me when their prize arrived and some write really wonderful messages! (Of course I wish that they would win again in other lotteries, just becasue I like to read their message )
About my own lottery behaviour:
I do host lotteries often in the German language section and sometimes in the general international one. I never host chain lotteries because I don’t like them. I really want to host a selction only when I feel like it and not if I have to. Nearly always I ask for a certain kind of special comment, answering a question or lately posting a photo of favourite flower etc. I do that because I think it is interesting for me and even more interesting for all participants. There are lotteries where I read every comment. The lotteries of @DaisyDekker (Cook-a-lottery) last year are a great example for that. Even a year later your would get something out of reading the comments there, because it was about preparing food (so if anybody needs new cooking inspiration, dive into archive and read!!)
So asking for something special to do is just as @Wolfsmondfee said an increase of entertaining! If it is to complicated, don’t participate
I also like to participate in normal lotteries (nearly never chain lotteries) - I like to take my time to answer to the questions of the host. I only participate if I am really interested in the prize - anything else would not make any sense to me!
Good Afternoon,
I know that we enjoy partaking in lotteries. I would like for the community to chime in. I noticed that some lotteries are not clear or often what is requested is not followed.
If a lottery participant does not follow the rules of the lottery; should they be disqualified?
If a winner does not respond; should the Lottery be Canceled, or should A new winner be picked?
How many days do you feel a winner should have to claim their winnings? I will make three attempts?
Should their be restrictions on the type of card you receive? Example; I have seen some postcards that I would not dare to send others. I seen some lotteries where participants complained about the particular card.
If ten people wants the same card; how should this be dealt with? First come First serve basis?
If you have anything else to add kindly do so.Thank you for participating.
Note: if I have postcards that are not to my liking; I will group those post cards together. Or I would host a lottery and give that one away as a bonus; I do post the card for viewing.
For me: The host set the rules
If you feel they don’t follow rules - just don’t pick them as winners
if the original winner wouldn’t respond, I would pick an extra winner and send a similar card
If the 1st winner eventually respond - I would send them the original card
If i don’t like the card on offer - I will not join the lottery
you ask interesting questions and i agree with @linos203.
i don’t know if there is a general list of rules for lotteries, but i think the rules and the decisions are up to who starts.
anyway, to reply to your questions i think:
2-3. i don’t think a lottery should be canceled if the winner does not respond, maybe a new winner should be picked.
some time ago, during the worst covid period, a chinese girl won one of my lotteries, but never answered to my 2 or 3 messages and i wanted to pick up a new winner, but after more than a month i drew the address of another participant for an official postcard so i decided to sent him that card.
4 what kind of restrictions are you suggesting?
5 i think first come first serve basis is right
as this is not a lottery i think a moderator will move this topic somewhere else to a more suitable sections of the forum
@stefbot75 I just getting a sense of how people feel when some lotteries are hosted. I seen some that I just passed up and could not believe. That is why I had created this topic.
@Solan I put this post up based on some of the lotteries that I was reviewing. I do mind hosting lotteries and I have always been fair. I was just inquiring how others felt. I stay away from lotteries that I am not interested in. Thank you for your response.