The Puerto Rico Senate has introduced Senate Resolution 509 to study the unregulated boom of social-media raffles offering cars, boats, home items, and even houses, often for as little as $20 per ticket. The resolution, authored by Senator Héctor Joaquín Sánchez, president of the Commission on Transportation, Telecommunications, Public Services and Consumer Affairs, aims to determine whether promoters comply with local disclosure and publication requirements for commercial sweepstakes.
The measure notes that this practice began with minor prizes like watches but has escalated to items such as aluminum home windows, boats, vehicles like a Ford Raptor R 2026 (valued over $100,000), and residences. Raffles typically sell between 10,000 and 15,000 tickets priced between $20 and $30 each.
The resolution cites Puerto Rico's public policy to protect consumer rights, curb inflationary trends, and enforce price controls on goods and services, seeking to verify compliance with such standards. It also references the Department of Consumer Affairs' (DACO) 'Commercial Practices Regulation' (9158), which sets minimum promoter obligations regarding disclosure, advertising, and protocols for altering terms, conditions, prizes, or suspending events.