Grand National
Sweepstake
2027
2027 Grand National — Key Facts
The final list of runners is confirmed in the days before the race. If you're running a sweepstake before then, you can draw from the expected field and adjust for any late withdrawals.
What Is a Grand National Sweepstake?
A Grand National sweepstake is a simple way to make the race more exciting for a group of people. Each participant is randomly assigned one of the horses running in the race. If your horse wins — or places, depending on your rules — you win the prize pot.
Traditionally, sweepstakes involved writing horse names on pieces of paper and drawing them from a hat. Today, SquadGames makes the whole thing digital and instant — no paper, no spreadsheets, and no arguments about fairness.
How to Run a Grand National Sweepstake
Here's the simplest way to set up your sweepstake this year:
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1Download SquadGames (free) Available on iOS and Android. Takes about 30 seconds to sign up.
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2Create your squad Give it a name — your group chat name, your office team, whatever fits.
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3Invite your friends Share the invite link into your WhatsApp group, email it round the office, or add people directly from your contacts.
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4The horses are drawn automatically Once everyone has joined, SquadGames randomly assigns a horse to each person. No manual draw needed.
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5Watch the race and see who wins Follow the action on race day. The app shows everyone's horse so you can cheer each other on.
Set Up Your Sweepstake Now
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Why Use an App Instead of a Paper Draw?
The traditional paper-in-a-hat approach works fine if everyone's in the same room. But most sweepstakes today involve people spread across offices, family group chats, and friend circles who might be watching from different locations.
SquadGames solves the remote sweepstake problem: share one link, everyone joins from their phone, and the draw happens fairly and automatically. Nobody has to trust that the person running it didn't peek at the names.
It also means your sweepstake is saved — you can check who's got which horse at any point on race day without hunting for a crumpled piece of paper.
Grand National Sweepstake Rules
The standard sweepstake rules are simple:
- 🏆 First place — takes the majority of the prize pot (e.g. 70%)
- 🥈 Second place — takes a smaller share (e.g. 20%)
- 🥉 Third place — takes the remainder (e.g. 10%)
If you have more people than horses (the Grand National field is capped at 34), some participants can be assigned two horses each, or you can run a free sweepstake with no prize money at all — which is exactly what SquadGames is designed for.
Grand National 2027 Runners
The Grand National is run over about 4 miles 2½ furlongs at Aintree, with a maximum of 34 runners. It is one of the most open races in the calendar, which is exactly why a random draw works so well: every horse in the hat has a chance.
Office Sweepstakes for the Grand National
The Grand National is the most popular event for office sweepstakes in the UK. Even people who never bet on horse racing will join in for the National. Here's how to make it work in an office setting:
Option 1 — Free sweepstake, no money
Use SquadGames to draw horses for everyone in the office. The winner gets bragging rights and maybe a box of chocolates. No cash changes hands, no legal grey areas.
Option 2 — Small entry fee, prize pot
Collect £1–£5 per person before the race. Whoever has the winning horse takes the pot. Keep the amounts small and it stays a bit of fun. SquadGames handles the draw — you handle the money separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Ready? Your Squad Is Waiting.
The 2027 Grand National is on Saturday 10th April. Set up your sweepstake today — it takes under two minutes.
Start Your Free Sweepstake →