(a) The General Assembly has become aware of the avalanche of sweepstakes, contests, and prize promotions that have been and are being directed at Arkansas consumers and recognizes that consumers are often misled by these sweepstakes, contests, and prize promotions. The General Assembly also recognizes that Arkansas consumers have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to sweepstakes, contests, and prize promoters based upon misrepresentations by those promoters to Arkansas consumers. Many of the sweepstakes, contests, and prize promotions are artfully crafted to lead Arkansas consumers to believe that they have been selected to receive valuable prizes, when such is not the case. The promotions often mislead Arkansas consumers as to the value of the prizes. The promotions often mislead Arkansas consumers as to their chances to receive the prize. The promotions often mislead Arkansas consumers to believe that they must purchase the promoter's product, or otherwise pay to the promoter sums of money in order to be eligible to receive the prize, or that the likelihood that the prize to be awarded will be increased, or that the consumer's application for the prize will receive special handling if the consumer purchases the promoter's product. These sweepstakes, contests, and prize promoters prey particularly upon elderly Arkansas consumers.
(b) It is the intent of the General Assembly through the enactment of this chapter to require that Arkansas consumers be provided with all relevant information necessary to make an informed decision concerning sweepstakes, contests, and prize promotions. It is also the intent of the General Assembly to prohibit misleading and deceptive prize promotions. This chapter shall be construed liberally in order to achieve this purpose.