The requests must come in writing and can come from the individual personally, or from a person's guardian or conservator. Consumers have a private right of action to sue in small claims court for failure to remove their names from sweepstakes mailing lists. The U.S. Postal Service can stop mailings from being delivered, and there are substantial penalties for non-compliance with the law, including the failure to set up a reasonable system to prevent unwanted mailings. More about sweepstakes. A lottery, in contrast to a sweepstakes, is a promotional device by which items of value are awarded to members of the public by chance, but which requires some form of payment to participate.
Lotteries are illegal except when conducted by states and certain exempt charitable organizations.
If you believe you have received a solicitation in the guise of a sweepstakes which is an illegal lottery, you should contact your local post office or state Attorney General's consumer protection office. Don't confuse skill contests with sweepstakes offers. There are many legitimate skill contests. For example, in a skill contest, you may write a winning jingle, solve puzzles, or answer questions correctly. Your skill or knowledge is what wins the contest, not chance.