The Price Is Right Rules: Prohibited Prizes, No Meat Policy, and Additional Guidelines

The Price Is Right is set to mark its monumental 10,000th episode on February 26, 2025.

For 53 seasons, fortunate audience members of The Price Is Right have been called to “come on down” and compete on “The Big Wheel,” aiming to win their dream prizes. The contemporary version of The Price Is Right is a successor to one of television’s earliest hits of the same title, which aired from 1956 to 1965 on NBC and later on ABC. Beginning in 1972, host Bob Barker captivated generations of contestants with his famous one-liners until he was succeeded by Drew Carey in 2017. The fundamental rules of the game have remained largely unchanged over the years, with the exception of some notable banned prizes and unusual restrictions that might surprise fans.

As CBS celebrates the show’s 10,000th episode, keep reading to uncover some of The Price Is Right‘s unexpected rules and notorious prohibitions:

No Meat Policy

Former host Barker was a passionate advocate for animal rights and concluded every episode of The Price Is Right by urging viewers to spay or neuter their pets.

The staff of The Price Is Right upheld Barker’s philosophy by banning all meat products as prizes and exclusively using faux veggie props on grills for the studio floor.

“[Barker] truly lived by his beliefs,” Carey told Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February 2025. “What people don’t realize is that before I became the host, The Price Is Right was a vegan show. They didn’t have any meat products or leather goods as prizes.”

After Barker’s retirement, Carey eventually managed to relax the ban on plastic steaks to some extent.

“Now, we have fake meat,” he proudly told host Jimmy Kimmel.

A Banned Prize

Carey also shared during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February 2025 that he doesn’t have a say in selecting contestants or prizes—except for one.

The comedian admitted he always disliked grandfather clocks as a prize option, even though they were quite popular with contestants.

“There was one prize that bothered me in my first season—we would give away a grandfather clock every show,” Carey recalled. “I never understood it. Whenever a grandfather clock was involved, I had my mic and thought, ‘Alright, I suppose people like grandfather clocks, I’ll just keep quiet.’”

After a few years of hosting, Carey finally voiced his opinion: “One of the first things I wanted to do… when I was finally able to speak up was to eliminate the grandfather clocks.”

Guest Restrictions

The Price Is Right invites individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply for tickets, but there are specific restrictions. Active CBS employees cannot compete on the show due to potential conflicts of interest.

Individuals currently running for public office are also prohibited from participating to avoid violating ‘Equal Time’ media regulations. This rule compels TV networks and radio stations to provide equivalent access to all political candidates.

Former contestants of The Price Is Right can compete on the show multiple times, provided there is a 10-year gap between appearances. Players are not eligible if they have participated in four or more other television game shows within a decade.

Dress Code

Viewers often quickly notice the vibrant and sometimes eccentric attire worn by the audience members in the Price Is Right studio. The producers encourage attendees to don brightly-colored and bold clothing to enhance the viewing experience.

An announcement to potential audience members advises: “Colorful, bright, and fun attire is encouraged. Please refrain from wearing white clothing. If sporting something family-themed or in the spirit of Price Is Right, ensure there are no corporate logos or suggestive phrases/pictures on any attire.”

In terms of what audience members shouldn’t wear, The Price Is Right requests no “shorts or skirts above the knee.” Open-toed shoes or sandals are also prohibited, as they may not offer sufficient safety protection.

Bribes

Longtime Price Is Right producer Stan Blits confirmed to The New York Post in 2013 that many hopeful contestants have attempted to bribe their way onto the show.

“People often bring me gifts, but I can’t accept anything—not even a business card,” Blits explained to the newspaper.

Flattery also fails to work. “People will put my image on their T-shirts, but the show cannot revolve around me. There can’t be any awareness of my presence,” Blits added.

Selling Tickets

Don’t even consider it. If you are fortunate enough to acquire a ticket to The Price Is Right, a built-in regulation prevents you from attempting to sell your spot.

The official Price Is Right ticket guidelines caution: “Selling this ticket is not allowed.”

Though audience members can’t profit from their ticket selections, The Price Is Right accommodates scheduling conflicts. If an audience member is unable to attend their designated date, they can easily reschedule for a different episode.

Trading Prizes for Cash

Unfortunately, that’s not permitted either. Contestants may not exchange prizes for cash, even if they find themselves with a pogo stick or archery set they don’t want. All they can do is refuse to accept a prize. A common misconception is that participants can convert any prizes into cash – this is definitely untrue.

Former Price Is Right winner Aurora De Lucia confirmed in a 2013 blog post: “There’s no cash value option. They clearly outline this in all the paperwork—you either take what you won or you take nothing. (You don’t have to accept everything you’ve won— for example, I could have accepted the car while forfeiting the camcorders. However, you can’t trade for a different car, or receive cash, or anything similar.)”

Contestants must declare any prizes they accept as income on their federal tax returns and pay any applicable taxes.

Spoiler Alert

Contestants are prohibited from publicly revealing what they’ve won on The Price Is Right until their episode airs on CBS. This policy is in place to avoid spoilers that might diminish viewer interest in the show.

Former contestant De Lucia shared with Mental Floss in 2013 that there’s “a small winners’ room where we sign all our paperwork.” These documents obligate players to keep silent about their winnings until they get the green light to share, or they risk losing all their prizes.

The Price Is Right airs weekdays on CBS at 11 a.m. ET.