SWEEPSTAKES. Eleven letters that solve one of the more frequent crossword puzzles appearing in British and Irish publications. The clue “lotteries or races” has stumped solvers from The Independent to the Irish Daily Mail Quick, but the answer delivers exactly what the question asks for.
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A Word That Does Double Duty
Sweepstakes qualifies as both a lottery and a race, which explains why crossword constructors favor it. In gambling terms, a sweepstake operates as a betting pool where participants contribute stakes and winners claim the pot. In racing contexts, the same word describes competitive events where entry fees create prize pools distributed based on performance.
The clue works because it demands a single word covering two distinct concepts. Solvers looking for synonyms of “lottery” or “race” separately will miss the mark. The answer requires a term that genuinely means both.
From Medieval Games to Modern Contests
The word appears in Middle English records from 1495 as “swepe stake,” literally meaning to sweep or take all stakes in a game. According to Oxford Reference, the original usage described a person who won everything on the table.
The timeline runs like this:
1495: First recorded use in Middle English referring to winners taking all wagers
1500s-1600s: The term “Sweepstake” became a popular name for British ships
1700s: Meaning shifted to describe prizes in horse racing where one winner claimed the entire pool instead of splitting among top finishers
1800s: Expanded to cover any gambling arrangement with contributed stakes awarded to select winners
That evolution from describing a person to describing a contest type shows how English absorbs gambling terminology into broader usage.
The Irish Connection
The Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake ran from 1930 to 1987 as one of history’s largest lottery operations. Despite being technically illegal in the United States, Americans bought tickets through international mail. The operation funded Irish healthcare infrastructure while creating a globally recognized example of sweepstakes in action.
This wasn’t a promotional giveaway or modern contest. Participants paid real money for chances tied to horse race outcomes, combining the lottery element (random ticket assignment) with racing results (prize distribution based on which horses finished where).
How Different Countries Handle Sweepstakes
American law transformed sweepstakes through Federal Trade Commission regulations. The phrase “no purchase necessary to enter or win” became mandatory language, converting sweepstakes from gambling into marketing tools. Companies now use them as promotional vehicles rather than betting mechanisms.
Canada and Australia require entrants to answer skill-testing questions, usually basic math problems. This converts pure chance into contests of skill under their legal definitions, sidestepping gambling classifications.
British usage tends toward “prize draw” or “competition” instead of sweepstakes for promotional contests. The traditional meaning tied to horse racing remains, but marketing departments avoid the term.
Brazil implements similar skill requirements to Australia and Canada, requiring some demonstrated ability beyond luck.
Crossword Context and Variations
The same answer fits multiple related clues:
“Sport-based lotteries” (11 letters)
“Lotteries commonly found at horse racing”
“Form of gambling” (when constructors need exactly 11 letters)
Crossword setters use sweepstakes because it creates elegant double-definition clues. When you see two concepts joined by “or” in a clue, search for words encompassing both rather than picking one meaning. That technique appears throughout quality puzzle construction.
The 11-letter count matters. “Competitions” runs to 12 letters. “Contests” falls short at 8. “Raffles” handles lotteries but not races. Sweepstakes fits the grid and the definition simultaneously.
Solving Strategy
British quick crosswords favor this clue because sweepstakes originated in British gambling culture. When the letter count hits 11 and the clue mentions both gambling and racing, start filling in S-W-E-E-P-S-T-A-K-E-S before checking crosses.
Related answers like “stakes” (6 letters) or “wagers” (6 letters) work for different clues but fail to capture both the lottery and racing elements. That specificity makes sweepstakes irreplaceable for this particular puzzle.
Why This Word Persists
Sweepstakes survives in crosswords because it genuinely serves both definitions without stretching. The word emerged from actual gambling practice where people swept up all the stakes, evolved through horse racing culture where pooled bets created winner-take-all scenarios, and landed in modern usage describing everything from charity raffles to marketing contests.
That authenticity shows when solvers see the answer. The clue isn’t playing word games or forcing connections. Lotteries or races? Both apply, and sweepstakes names them accurately.
