Sweepstakes contest organizer Publishers Clearing House will pay a total of $3.5 million to Illinois, 31 other states and Washington, D.C. to cover their investigative costs as part of a new settlement that also toughens solicitation practices.

The settlement, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, stemmed from a probe into Publishers’ “marketing practices of misleading consumers to believe purchasing magazines and other products will increase their chance to win the jackpot,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement. Get the full story »