New Year's Eve Sweepstakes: How Entry Windows Typically Close
Learn four common cutoff patterns for New Year's Eve prizes so you enter before your tier closes.
New Year's Eve sweepstakes do not all close at midnight on Dec. 31. Entry windows, the periods when a sponsor accepts entries, typically close at staggered times, often earlier on Dec.
31 or weeks before. Some use separate cutoffs for separate prizes. The cutoff for the prize you want matters more than the holiday date itself.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 05, 2026.
How split closes work
Ferrero's Raise A Rocher Holiday Sweepstakes uses a split close. New York City Times Square trip entries must arrive by Dec. 6, 2026, while other drawings continue through Dec.
31, 2026, according to the Ferrero U.S.A. announcement via PR Newswire holiday countdown announcement. That structure gives early prizes an early cutoff and later prizes a later one.
A late entry can still miss the trip drawing even when general entries remain open. Read the prize list before you enter. Enter the early tier first when you want that trip.
Why many windows close before midnight
CBS's New Years Eve Live Sweepstakes accepted entries from 12:00 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2024 until 10:00 p.m.
ET Dec. 31, 2024 via nyelivegiveaway.com, according to the CBS rules hosted by Fooji CBS entry-period rules. A 10 p.m.
cutoff lets the sponsor close entries before the broadcast ends. It also creates time for selection, review, and contact. Do not assume you have until midnight.
Check whether the listed time is morning, evening, and Eastern or local time.
Why trip prizes often close weeks early
Waterford's VIP Times Square New Year's Eve Sweepstakes ran Oct. 23 to Nov. 9, 2026, almost two months before New Year's Eve, according to Waterford terms Times Square terms.
Early closure allows trip fulfillment. Travel, hotel rooms, tickets, and guest details take time to arrange. This pattern is common for New Year's Eve trips.
When travel is included, expect an October or November cutoff.
Can a window close after midnight?
Yes, but rarely and usually by minutes. Nashville's New Year's Eve Survey Giveaway ran from 4:30 p.m. CT Dec.
31 until 12:15 a.m. CT Jan. 1, according to Visit Nashville rules survey giveaway rules.
That short after-midnight window covers participation tied to the night itself. It is a chance to win, not a guaranteed benefit, and the 15-minute margin passes quickly.
- Confirm the date, time, and time zone for your prize tier
- Confirm the entry site and whether the final drawing uses a separate period
- Enter before the earlier trip cutoff when tiers have different dates