Golf clubs, Tampons, and unaided mathematical skill-testing questions. Poor Canadians can’t win at chance, so I sure hope they know their multiplication table!
So I’m using the restroom at work today, and as I always do while I’m in there (besides the obvious), I am reading something. Now its important to understand that I’m obsessed with reading in the bathroom. I have gotten to the point where I feel very lost in there without something to read. I have also noticed that the smaller the type, THE BETTER! Very often, I have found myself reading the back of the bottle of aspirin, or even the instructions for the ladies OB tampons.
So anyhow, I’m in there today, and I’m looking at the recent Sport Illustrated (The Player of the Year issue… GO BRETT FAVRE!) and reading the advertisement they have stapled to the cover which gives everyone an equal opportunity to win a set of brand new King Cobra golf clubs. Instantly, I flip to the section of the content with the finest print possible, the OFFICIAL RULES. To my amazement, I read the following:
Winners will be notified by mail and will be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Release of Liability (“Affidavit”) and where permissible a Publicity Release within 14 days of date specified on notification, or an alternate winner will be selects.
Now this is where it gets funny to me:
Any Canadian winner will also be required to correctly answer, unaided, a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question in order to receive a prize.
WHAT? An unaided, time-limited mathematical skills question? Does SI hate Canadians or something? This thought is enough to make me boycott Sports Illustrated. So before I run off and start making signs on sticks, I do a bit of research.
The combined effect of Sections 197 to 206 of the Canadian Criminal Code bans for-profit gaming or betting, with exceptions made for provincial lotteries, licensed casinos, and charity events. Many stores, radio stations, and other groups still wish to hold contests to encourage more purchases or increase consumer interest. A classic example is Tim Hortons’ Roll up the Rim to Win, a contest that offers a chance to win with every cup of coffee purchased, with prizes ranging from doughnuts to vehicles. These organizations take advantage of the fact that the law does allow prizes to be given for games of skill, or mixed games of skill and chance. In order to make the chance-based contests legal, such games generally have mathematical skill-testing questions incorporated.
- Source:Wikipedia
Okay, so Canadians have funny laws. I guess I can deal with that.
So, I ask you, has anyone won a contest and had to answer one of these questions? Do you remember the question you were asked? If so, please comment below and let me know all about it (don’t forget to tell me what you actually won!)