As interest in prize draws rises in the UK, Adam Shaw is positioning The Big Leagues to stand out with a multi-sport approach. The Big Leagues launched its prize draw platform last week, focusing on sports fans across the UK, after successfully raising £500,000 ($662,077) in seed funding.
The platform features both paid prize draw entries for unique sports rewards and free-to-play prediction games. Shaw, the founder, has a wealth of experience in the betting industry, having previously been the international director at Flutter Entertainment and chief revenue officer at Superbet.
He recognizes the potential in the UK prize draw market, which has seen significant consumer demand. "I wanted to find something in the UK that I thought was growing and that I thought had meaningful consumer demand behind it," Shaw stated. "It was pretty clear to me that prize draws had both of those things."
While prize draws are becoming more popular, competition is also increasing. A recent white paper by consultancy Rokker estimated the UK prize draw sector generates approximately £1.3 billion in annual revenue, with over 400 active operators.
Shaw believes The Big Leagues can offer a unique proposition by embracing multiple sports, creating a central hub for fans. "Most people are interested in more than one sport, and if you’ve got one website where you’re able to win prizes across all of those different things, it’s just going to be somewhere that people are going to want to go," he explained.
The platform’s prize offerings emphasize premium experiences rather than merchandise. Shaw mentioned, "We’re offering proper bucket list stuff for people. A trip to the Masters, Champions League hospitality, and a box at Cheltenham [Festival] for you and your mates… We’ve taken a different angle on the way that we’re thinking about doing it, wanting to go to the more aspirational side."
To attract users, Shaw plans to use free-to-play prediction games to build an audience. "The free-to-play part of it, I’ve learned that playbook from gambling. It’s totally differentiated against anyone else in the prize draw sector," he remarked. He sees potential in partnerships with brands, sports organizations, and content creators, stating, "If people have got a sports audience that they’re trying to engage or monetize, we’ve got a way of doing that."
Shaw's ambition is clear: he aims to make The Big Leagues the foremost sports prize draw platform in the UK, providing a compelling alternative to traditional gambling and fantasy sports. "I’d love it to be the number one sports prize draw website… I think it’s somewhere in the middle of those two things, and I think we can be an interesting alternative."
The regulatory landscape surrounding prize draws has evolved as their popularity has increased. These competitions are governed by complex regulations that depend on their structure and prize distribution. Although a Voluntary Code of Good Practice was established last year, Rokker’s paper indicated that less than 20% of active operators signed on.
The Big Leagues is compliant, having signed the voluntary code and joined the newly formed Prize Competition Council (PCC). Shaw emphasizes their commitment to regulation: "We’ve taken the highest path that we can take from a regulatory perspective as it stands today in the UK."
He advocates for clearer regulations, while also cautioning against overly strict measures reminiscent of those imposed on the traditional gambling sector. "I’d be pretty happy if they came in and put proper regulation in place. I think it’d be good for the market, good for the certainty and give the guardrails," he added. "There’s clearly demand for this thing, so having some sensible regulation would be great. But I don’t want it to go down the gambling path too hard because I think that’s probably gone too far now. But sensible regulation would be good. I don’t see it as a risk, particularly.
