Twitch Giveaway Rules · Last updated June 2026
Yes, Twitch allows giveaways. Its Terms of Service include a Promotions clause that permits contests and sweepstakes.
The catch: you, the streamer, are the legal promoter. You follow the law, post rules, and show a required disclaimer.
The one line to stay on: keep entry free and pick the winner at random.
This is a practical summary, not legal advice. Giveaway and sweepstakes rules are jurisdiction dependent and change over time. For anything significant, check your own state and country and consult a qualified attorney.
Twitch's Terms of Service include a Promotions clause (Section 9.d). It explicitly permits running promotions such as contests and sweepstakes, as long as they comply with applicable law.
Twitch classifies you as the sole promoter. That puts the whole promotion on you:
You may not imply that Twitch is a sponsor or co-sponsor, and Twitch may remove promotions that do not comply.
Required disclaimer (quote it verbatim)
“This is a promotion by [Your Name]. Twitch does not sponsor or endorse this promotion and is not responsible for it.”
Display it in your official rules and on the giveaway itself, or read it out on stream. Swap your name or channel into the bracketed part.
Important nuance
Twitch does not separately ban subscriber-only giveaways. The constraint on sub-only entry comes from the law, not from a special Twitch rule. More on that below.
Source: Twitch Terms of Service, Promotions clause. See the Sources section for the link.
US-centric
The rules below are US-centric. International rules differ, so treat this as a starting point, not the whole picture.
A prize promotion becomes an illegal lottery only when all three of these are present at once.
The lottery formula
Prize
Something of value to win
Chance
Winner picked at random
Consideration
Entrants pay to enter
All three together = an illegal lottery
Remove consideration (keep entry free) = a legal sweepstakes
Remove consideration (no purchase or payment to enter) and you have a legal sweepstakes. Remove chance (winner judged on skill) and you have a contest. Twitch giveaways are usually sweepstakes: free to enter, drawn at random.
No purchase necessary is a legal disclosure. An AMOE (Alternative Method Of Entry) is a free, easily accessible way to enter without a purchase.
The key requirement: AMOE entrants must have equal odds to paying entrants. Offer a paid path at all, and the free path cannot give worse chances of winning.
In the US, sweepstakes and lottery rules are enforced federally by the FTC, FCC, and USPS, plus State Attorneys General at the state level.
Jurisdiction flags
Some states are stricter (for example Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Vermont). Some require registration or bonding for larger prizes (for example Florida and New York). International rules differ too: the UK, the EU, and Canada (which often requires a skill question) each have their own requirements.
Sources: Social Media Law Firm, US Sweepstakes, RTM, ViralSweep, the FTC, and KickoffLabs. See the Sources section.
This is the part most streamers want answered. The short version: how viewers enter decides whether consideration sneaks in.
Keeps it free
Free chat keyword
Type a word in chat, no cost
Channel points
Earned for free by watching
Free entry form
No purchase to submit
Adds legal risk
if it is the only way in
Paid sub only
A subscription costs money
Bits to enter
Bits are bought with money
Donation to enter
A donation is a payment
The risky methods are only a problem when they are the only way in. Pair any paid path with an equal-odds free path and you are back in the clear.
Subscriber-only entry: legally risky
A Twitch subscription costs money. Making a paid sub the sole entry path supplies consideration and, combined with a prize and a random draw, can amount to an illegal lottery in the US.
Accepted best practice
Still reward your subs if you want, but always offer an equal-odds free entry method alongside, such as a free chat keyword, channel points, or a free form. Do not give subs better odds than free entrants.
Channel points: generally safer
Channel points are generally considered safer because viewers earn them for free by watching rather than by paying, so they are widely used as a free entry method. Treat this as practitioner consensus, not settled law: keep a genuinely no-cost path to those points and do not tie entry to paid point boosts.
Bits or donations to enter: advised against
Bits are purchased with money and donations are payments, so requiring either to enter is risky and is generally advised against. If you want to reward them, still offer an equal-odds free way in.
Sources: Odin Law, Social Media Law Firm, and RafflePress. See the Sources section.
These are best practices to stay on the right side of the rules, not legal advice. Check your own jurisdiction.
Step 01
Provide a free, equal-odds path to enter (an Alternative Method Of Entry). Never make a paid subscription, bits, a donation, or any purchase the only way in.
Step 02
Free entrants must get the same chance as anyone who paid. AMOE entrants are required to have equal odds to paying entrants.
Step 03
Cover eligibility, entry methods, start and end times, how the winner is drawn, the prize, and how winners are notified.
Step 04
Display or read out the required disclaimer and never imply that Twitch sponsors, endorses, or is responsible for your giveaway.
Step 05
Confirm the prize is legal to give and receive, set age or region limits (for example 18+), and exclude regions you cannot legally run in.
Step 06
Use a verifiably random method and ideally draw live on stream so viewers can see the selection is fair.
Step 07
Prizes are taxable to the winner at fair market value. Track value and any required reporting (see the taxes section below).
Step 08
Rules vary by jurisdiction. Some US states are stricter and some require registration or bonding for larger prizes. International rules differ.
2026 update
Prizes are taxable income to the winner at fair market value, regardless of the prize form. That is true whether the prize is cash, a game key, a gift card, or hardware.
The $2,000 1099 threshold (new for 2026)
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (enacted July 4, 2025) raised the Form 1099-MISC filing threshold from $600 to $2,000. Starting with tax year 2026, a promotion sponsor must file a 1099-MISC for a winner's prize with a fair market value over $2,000. The old $600 figure applied through 2025.
This is US federal only. Many competing guides still quote the old $600 number. State rules and other countries differ, so consult a tax professional.
Sources: Reed Smith and Frankfurt Kurnit. See the Sources section.
Run a compliant draw without the busywork
StreamerGiveaway makes the compliant pattern the easy one: a free chat-command entry path so anyone can enter without paying, a random winner pick, and the draw shown live on your overlay so chat can see it is fair. For setup, see our guide to running a giveaway on Twitch.
The key references behind this guide. Links open in a new tab.
This page is a practical summary, not legal advice. Laws vary by state and country and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney or tax professional for your specific situation.
Yes. Twitch's Terms of Service include a Promotions clause that explicitly permits running contests and sweepstakes, provided they comply with applicable law. Twitch treats you, the streamer, as the sole promoter, so you are responsible for running the promotion, posting official rules, picking winners, and any required registrations. You must also display Twitch's required disclaimer and cannot imply that Twitch sponsors or endorses your giveaway.
In general, yes, when structured as a free-to-enter sweepstakes with a random draw. Under US law a prize promotion becomes an illegal lottery only when prize, chance, and consideration are all present. Remove consideration by offering a free way to enter (no purchase necessary) and you have a legal sweepstakes. Laws differ by state and country, so this is jurisdiction dependent. This is a practical summary, not legal advice.
It is legally risky if a paid subscription is the only way to enter. A Twitch sub costs money, so making it the sole entry path can supply consideration and, combined with a prize and a random draw, can look like an illegal lottery in the US. The accepted best practice is to still reward subs but always offer an equal-odds free entry method alongside, such as a free chat keyword or channel points. Do not give subs better odds than free entrants.
Channel points are widely used as a free entry method because viewers earn them for free by watching rather than by paying. That makes them generally considered safer than paid entry. Treat this as practitioner consensus rather than settled law: keep a genuinely no-cost path to those points and do not tie entry to paid point boosts or purchases.
This is risky and generally advised against. Bits are purchased with money and donations are payments, so requiring either to enter can supply consideration and push a prize draw toward an illegal lottery in the US. If you want to reward bits or donations, still offer an equal-odds free way to enter so paying is never required.
Posting clear written official rules is a best practice and is often legally expected for sweepstakes. Good rules cover eligibility, the entry methods, start and end times, how the winner is drawn, the prize, and how winners are notified. Clear rules also reduce chat disputes and make your draw easier to defend as fair.
Yes. Twitch requires you to display or read out a disclaimer stating that the promotion is by you, that Twitch does not sponsor or endorse it, and that Twitch is not responsible for it. You may not imply Twitch is a sponsor or co-sponsor, and Twitch may remove non-compliant promotions.
Prizes are taxable income to the winner at fair market value, regardless of the prize form. For US federal taxes, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (enacted July 4, 2025) raised the Form 1099-MISC filing threshold from $600 to $2,000. Starting with tax year 2026, a promotion sponsor must file a 1099-MISC for a winner's prize with a fair market value over $2,000. The old $600 figure applied through 2025. This is US federal only, so consult a tax professional.
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