World Cup Sweepstake
How it works
A sweepstake is the fun way to follow the World Cup with friends: everyone gets a handful of random teams, and you score points as they go deep into the tournament. Here's the gist.
No skill needed - just luck and bragging rights
You don't pick your teams - the draw does it for you. That's what makes it a leveller: anyone can win, and everyone has a reason to cheer on countries they'd never normally watch.
- 1
Get in
Start your own sweepstake and share the join code with your mates, or join one of theirs with a code they send you. One account works across every sweepstake you run or play in.
- 2
The draw
All the teams are sorted into pots by their odds - pot 1 is the favourites, the later pots are the long shots. On draw night everyone is dealt one random team from each pot, so every player ends up with a fair mix of strong sides and dark horses.
- 3
Your teams score points
Your team's group score depends on where it finishes its group - even going out third or fourth still banks points, and the group is flat: the same points for every team. Then every knockout round it wins is multiplied by your team's pot number, so a long shot from a later pot earns far more than a favourite for the very same knockout run. A favourite that tops its group and wins the whole thing scores 52, but a Pot 4 underdog doing the same scores 172. Your organiser can also award a few points for goals, wins and clean sheets.
- 4
Climb the table
Watch the live league table as the tournament unfolds. Real results come in automatically, so your points and ranking update on their own - no one has to keep score by hand.
- 5
Win the pot
If your sweepstake has a buy-in, everyone pays into the pot when they join. When the dust settles, the player on top of the table takes the winnings - paid straight through PayPal.
How the points add up
Your group stage is scored by where your team finishes its group - flat points, the same for everyone. Then each knockout round it wins is worth a little more than the last, multiplied by your team's pot number. The bars below show what each stage is worth on its own (not a running total) - you bank them on top of each other.
Group stage - where your team finishes its group
Flat points, the same for every team - your pot doesn't change these.
- 1st in group12
- 2nd in group9
- 3rd in group6
- 4th in group3
Knockout rounds - banked for each round won, times your pot
- R326 per pot for this round624
- R167 per pot for this round728
- QF8 per pot for this round832
- SF9 per pot for this round936
- Champion10 per pot for this round1040
Your group score depends on where you finish - even going out third or fourth still banks points, the same for everyone. Then each knockout round you win is multiplied by your pot, so the same deep run is worth far more for an underdog. A favourite that tops its group and lifts the trophy totals 52; a Pot 4 underdog doing the same totals 172.
Good to know
- It's a draw, not a pick. Teams are dealt out randomly - fair for everyone, no football knowledge required.
- Long shots pay off. Knockout points are multiplied by a team's pot number, so the same deep run is worth far more for an underdog - a Pot 4 side that tops its group and wins it scores 172, against a favourite's 52.
- Scores look after themselves. Results sync automatically from the official feed - just check back on the table.
- Come back any time. You'll find this page again under “How it works” in the menu.