UK sports fans have a new and exciting product to look out for as Sweepmate has just hit the market, blending sweepstakes contests and fantasy sports. The new product seeks to fill a gap left by DraftKings’ departure from Great Britain.
Sweepmate Launches in Great Britain
As mentioned, Sweepmate seeks to combine the best of traditional sweepstakes contests with fantasy sports, resulting in an exciting product for fans of sports predictions. Available on both Android and iOS, the new platform taps into the growing demand for fantasy sports products in the UK.
While fantasy sports in the UK have yet to reach the popularity they enjoy in America, the vertical’s growth has been inhibited by the departure of DraftKings from the local fantasy sports sector in 2024.
Sweepmate’s goal is to “pick up where DraftKings left off” and resume the offering of cutting-edge fantasy sports products in the UK.
Making Sports Even More Exciting
Sweepmate is the brainchild of Lloyd Bidder, a former Big Four accountancy firm director, and Johnny Barnes, the founder of Soho Juice Co. The latter commented on the launch of the new platform, saying that Sweepmate’s goal is to fill the void left by DraftKings with a new and original product. He added that the new format can cover almost any sporting and entertainment event from the Euros to Eurovision.
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.
Johnny Barnes, founder, Sweepmate
Barnes explained that the game’s format is simple – players have to pick three teams and if they finish first, fourth, or last, they win. Since no new teams are minted 90 minutes before the start, there is a great scarcity value, Barnes added.
Barnes also noted that the prize pool is distributed between all winners.
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.
Johnny Barnes, founder, Sweepmate
Sweepmate secured a license from the UKGC on March 27, 2025, according to the regulator’s official website. The company is licensed as a linked gambling software and pool betting operator.