Ok, this is a question for those of you in Canada (or those of you who just happen to know the answer for some reason)...

Why do you have to correctly answer a skill based question when you win a prize before it is awarded to you? What does answering a question have to do with winning a prize? Are the questions easy or difficult? This seems so odd and has me puzzled. I'm hoping to learn something new today. LOL

By Mrse on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 05:34 pm:

I have no idea why they ask the question, it is annoying, in my view if you win you win, you should not have to do math to get the prize. Yes they are easy, something like 5+8 times 2 . My girlfriend keeps a calculator by the phone at all times. I always put dh name on anything that thier is a skill testing question lol. I freak under pressure lol. what a chicken eh?

By Mrsheidi on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 05:34 pm:

I'm not from Canada, and you have ME puzzled...what are you referring to? I've never heard of this?

By Paulas on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 06:30 pm:

Someone once told me the answer to this but I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

The good thing is...here in Canada...all prizes, including the lottery are tax free. So, if I have to do a little math to win the big bucks...I'm all for it! LOL

By Paulas on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 06:35 pm:

I found this out:

And the best thing of all, regarding Canadian contests — the skills question you’re forced to answer if you win. Hmmm, let me get this right — in order for my to claim my free donut at Tim Horton’s, I have to answer an addition, multiplication, and division question?
In Canada, if you win a contest, you haven’t actually ‘won’ yet. First, you have to complete a skill-testing question. Usually this is a straight-forward math question that anybody who remembers their orders of operation from grade 8 could answer. For example:

2 * (18-4) + 4 = ?

As this article explains, it’s a peculiarity of Canadian law:

Under the Criminal Code, it is illegal to hold a lottery without a licence. Giving away a prize based on chance alone — a random draw, for instance — is considered a form of lottery. The contest industry invented the skill-testing question to get around that restriction. If a contest includes an element of skill, it is no longer considered purely a game of chance.

“It’s a loophole, basically, and to the best of my knowledge Canada is the only country that has that requirement,” said Toronto lawyer Brenda Pritchard, who is co-authoring a book called Advertising and Marketing Law in Canada that devotes an entire chapter to contests.
Like most things, I think the laws are different in Quebec.


Taken from the following website: http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/000522.html

By Tunnia on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 09:53 pm:

Thanks so much! That is interesting. I have always wondered about it, but never knew. Now I have learned something new today. BTW, I'd never win a thing if I lived in Canada because I can't do math to save my life! I'd have to have a calculator by my phone too. LOL

By Mrsheidi on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 10:07 am:

THAT is the craziest thing I've ever heard...wow. You learn something new every day! Thanks!!