Sweepmate, a new real-money, pool-based gaming platform, has launched to provide a “sweepstake with a twist” for sport fans in the UK.
Sweepmate, available on iOS and Android, blends the familiarity of a traditional sweepstake, the excitement of fantasy sports and the strategy of trading to give players a unique way to engage with events. The app has launched with Premier League predictions, with further events and sports planned in the coming months.
On Sweepmate, the Premier league table resets every single week and the standing can be seen live in app, with data provided by leading data providers Sportradar.
Sweepmate’s platform facilitates UKGC-licensed pool-based gameplay but does not itself act as a bookmaker or take positions on outcomes.
The prize pool, determined by the number of entrants, is split between players who make successful predictions, with 50% awarded to the team finishing first, 20% to the team finishing fourth and 30% to the team finishing last in a given Sprint.
Another twist comes as players have the option to trade teams during the Sprint, known as “Sweeping”.
Sweepmate was granted a UKGC licence earlier this year and is being officially launched ahead of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures.
Sweepmate is founded by Lloyd Bidder, assistant director at one of the Big Four accountancy firms, and Johnny Barnes – founder of soft drinks company Soho Juice Co, a non-carbonated beverage sold across three continents.
Picking up where Draftkings left off
Barnes said:
The ambition is to fill the void that Draftkings have left with a novel, original game. The format can apply across almost any sports and entertainment event – from the Euros to Eurovision. Sweepmate is simple: pick three teams and if they finish first, fourth or last then you win. No new teams are minted 90 minutes before kick-off so there’s a great scarcity value and you can buy or sell teams during the gameweek.
Sweepmate is not a bookie as we don’t set odds or take a position. Because we’re a pool-based game, we want people to win and we try to provide as much information as possible to players. We pride ourselves on customer service and offer free weekly preview and review shows as well as a complimentary concierge service.
Our goal is to create a product that keeps fans engaged right across the weekend, whether their favourite club is winning or not. It’s about adding an extra layer of excitement to the Premier League and giving players a reason to stay invested in every result.
Leeds are top of the league?
Sweepmate’s unique scoring method means the table at the end of each Sprint doesn’t always look the same as the Premier League table. Teams are ranked based on goal difference, goals scored, shots on and off target, and red and yellow cards.
After 11 Premier League gameweeks so far, nine different teams have finished first, nine different teams have finished fourth and eight different teams have finished last.
Late drama in matches has had a significant bearing on each week’s standings, nine of 11 weeks decided after 80 minutes, and eight of them decided after 90 minutes. Two of the 11 weeks were decided by the final match of the gameweek.
Last season Tottenham had the joint-most first-place finishes in Sweepmate, despite finishing 17th in the Premier League. So far this season, both West Ham and Leeds have finished top and bottom in different weeks.
Sweepmate is designed to provide excitement across the entire Premier League gameweek. As an example in gameweek eight (October 18th to 20th), fourth place was determined by a goal in the last minute of the last game (West Ham vs Brentford) and in seven of the eight Premier League game weeks played so far positions have changed due to goals in the 82nd minute or later.
