I’m a complete sucker for online sweepstakes. I haven’t won anything since 1996 when the competition was one-thousandth of what it is today. But like a dog looking for another handout, that hasn’t stopped me from trying.

Today, I spotted a smart mini-sweeps at St. Mary’s Bank in Manchester, New Hampshire (note 1). It is giving away a pair of good Boston Celtics tickets (valued at $577) to the March 31 game against the Raptors. Customers receive an automatic entry when they sign up for online banking, mobile banking, and/or use mobile banking (maximum of 3 entries, 1 for each action).

It’s a low-cost way to boost digital awareness and usage while providing a bit of fun for everyone. There is a bit of a UI glitch (note 2) that detracts from the initial homepage message (see above). When you land on the homepage, the login button automatically drops down, covering much of the copy of the Celtics promotion. It does go away if you click somewhere else on the page.

The other small change I’d suggest is to make it clearer that existing mobile banking customers are still automatically entered in the sweeps by using mobile banking prior to the deadline. I think many customers will read this and think that only new registrants are eligible. For example:

Enroll in online or mobile banking by March 22. Or if you already have, simply use your mobile banking app for a chance to win.

However, the landing page (below) makes it relatively clear, so overall no harm no foul. Play on.


Notes:
1. Despite its decidedly bank-like name, the financial institution was actually the first credit union in the country, established in 1908.
2. Bug noticed today using Chrome on a 13″ Mac Air.