A participating financial institution may conduct a savings promotion contest for the benefit of its depositors only if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The terms and conditions of the savings promotion contest must allow a depositor to obtain one or more entries to win a specified prize or prizes. Subject to any limits that the participating financial institution may place on the number of entries that a depositor is allowed to obtain for any savings promotion contest, as set forth in the terms and conditions of a specific savings promotion contest, the participating financial institution must allow a depositor to obtain an entry for a savings promotion contest only by doing either or both of the following:

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Terms Used In South Carolina Code 34-45-40

  • Depositor: means an individual member or customer of a financial institution who:

    (a) maintains a qualifying account at a financial institution participating in a savings promotion contest;

    (b) is in good standing at a financial institution authorized to do business in South Carolina; and

    (c) is eighteen years of age or older. See South Carolina Code 34-45-20
  • Entry: means a chance or chances obtained by a depositor to win a designated prize or prizes in a savings promotion contest by complying with the terms and conditions of a savings promotion contest. See South Carolina Code 34-45-20
  • Financial institution: means a bank, a savings institution, or a credit union authorized to do business in South Carolina under federal or state law. See South Carolina Code 34-45-20
  • Participating financial institution: means a financial institution authorized to do business in South Carolina that is sponsoring a savings promotion contest. See South Carolina Code 34-45-20
  • Qualifying account: means :

    (a) a savings account or other savings product or program offered by a participating financial institution into which deposits may be made by a depositor;

    (b) the account is evidenced by periodic statements that are delivered to the depositor or are available to the depositor through electronic access; and

    (c) the interest rate for the qualifying account is similar to, and not less than, the interest rates of other comparable nonqualifying accounts. See South Carolina Code 34-45-20
  • Savings promotion contest: means a contest or promotion sponsored by a financial institution or a group of financial institutions in which a chance of winning designated prizes is obtained by a depositor when the depositor:

    (a) deposits a specified amount of money or makes a specified number of deposits into the depositor's qualifying account; or

    (b) participates in one or more savings products or programs. See South Carolina Code 34-45-20

(a) depositing a minimum specified amount of money or making a specified number of deposits into a qualifying account in accordance with the terms and conditions of a specific savings promotion contest;

(b) participating in one or more savings products or programs in accordance with the terms and conditions of a specific savings promotion contest.

(2) A savings promotion contest must comply with all applicable consumer protection laws.

(3) A participating financial institution conducting a savings promotion contest shall not require any depositor or other individual to pay a consideration for a chance of winning a prize or prizes designated in a savings promotion contest.

(4) A depositor does not make a payment for consideration if the depositing of a specified amount of money, the making of a specified number of deposits, or the participating in one or more savings programs or products are all made or involve the depositor’s accounts.

(5) Each entry in a savings promotion contest must have an equal chance of being drawn.

(6) Participating depositors in a savings promotion contest are not required to be present at a drawing to win a prize.

(7) A participating financial institution must maintain books and records necessary to facilitate an audit of a savings promotion contest and, upon written request, must provide those records to the appropriate state or federal regulatory agency of that financial institution.

(8) A participating financial institution must not conduct a savings promotion contest in a manner that jeopardizes the safety or soundness of the financial institution or misleads its depositors.

(9) A participating financial institution must post, online and in any location where entries may be submitted, the terms and conditions of the savings promotion contest.