# CON-076 — Opt-in must not be bought with a prize or giveaway entry

> A messaging opt-in must not be offered in exchange for entry to a prize draw, giveaway, raffle or contest.

- **Rule ID:** CON-076
- **Layer:** Consent flow (`CONSENT_FLOW`)
- **Checks:** `opt-in offer copy`
- **Severity:** BLOCKING — Breaking this rule gets the submission rejected outright.
- **When it bites:** Gates approval — get this wrong and registration is refused
- **How it is detected:** AI judgement over the submitted form
- **Fix type:** Fix the website — no form edit clears it
- **Required by:** Twilio, CTIA, T-Mobile
- **Applies:** Applies to every 10DLC registration.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/consent-flow/con-076/

## Why this rule exists

An opt-in given to enter a draw says nothing about wanting the messages, so the list that results behaves like a purchased one: high opt-out rates, high complaint rates, and recipients who do not recognise the sender by the second send. The research names this the highest-frequency trap for legitimate brands, because "enter to win — text WIN to join" is a normal-looking retail promotion that nobody involved thinks of as a compliance decision.

## How to fix it

Separate the two decisions: let people enter the draw without joining the list, and offer the messaging opt-in beside it as its own optional control with its own disclosure. Done when the entry form completes with the SMS box unticked and the prize is never described as what the opt-in earns.

## Example of a compliant value

```text
☐ Enter me in the monthly Acme Coffee hamper draw.
☐ Separately, text me Acme Coffee offers. Consent is not a condition of entry. Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
```

## Common mistakes

- Making the draw entry the reward for opting in and the opt-in optional "in theory" still fails — the question is what the copy offers, not what the checkbox allows.
- A genuine sweepstakes can be registered, under the sweepstakes use case with official rules; what cannot be done is paying for opt-ins with entries.

## Provider rejection codes

| Provider | Code | Resubmission allowed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Twilio (gen2) | `30945` | no |

## Notes

Twilio 30945 is non-remediable at that provider — the campaign cannot be resubmitted once rejected for it — which is why catching it before submission matters more here than for most rules. Whether contest content in the samples needs the sweepstakes use case is MSG-155, not this rule.