World Cup sweepstakes require five rules to follow in order to avoid legal issues

With the first game kicking off in a week when Mexico take on South Africa at Estadio Banorte, World Cup fever is taking over.

That means that many offices across the globe are advancing with their World Cup sweepstakes - a mandatory tournament tradition which gets you even more invested in the showpiece.

For the first time in history, there are 48 teams competing in the World Cup and that might just open up more possibilities for sweepstakes in the form of extra teams

To sum up a sweepstake, each person typically pays a small sum and then whoever has the winning team takes home the money - though sometimes second and third place are compensated.

But while the concept is fun and positive - unless you've drawn both Curacao and Jordan - there are some key rules that need to be followed carefully.

As highlighted by Personnel Today, sweepstakes are actually regulated in the Gambling Act 2005 and there are few potential issues involving a recent pivot to hybrid working after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In line with the aforementioned act, licences are require for lotteries - which is essentially what a sweepstake is.

For it to be a valid and continue without a licence, exemptions are given as long as rules are followed.

What rules must be followed in an office World Cup sweepstake?

For starters, the sweepstake must only include one location and cannot be across multiple offices in London and Dublin for example. These must be separate and can only be promoted in the relevant workplace, even online on Slack or Teams.

Hybrid working where employees work from home can cause problems here and may require a careful approach.

It is also a necessity that whoever organises the sweepstake does not make any profit, and that every person participant pays the same amount for every entry.

Payment is to be made beforehand, with teams allocated on chance - normally through a physical or virtual draw using a website.

In addition, there needs to be no roll-over involved but that is a given for the World Cup - which will end on 19 July with the final in New Jersey.

If the sweepstake is employee-led rather than an organisation then that makes it safer and easier to avoid any potential regulatory risk.

Writer Jennifer Leeder notes that, "As hybrid working continues to evolve, the key for employers is not to avoid sweepstakes altogether, but to ensure they are structured in a way that reflects both the legal requirements and the realities of the modern workplace".