22 October 2026 | iGaming Industry News |
Andy Shaw, founder of Big Leagues, has recently launched the platform in the UK following a successful £500,000 seed funding round.
The platform offers customers the opportunity to enter prize draws for unique sports-related experiences and rewards, alongside free-to-play sports prediction games.
Having previously served as a director at Flutter Entertainment, Shaw brings considerable experience of the UK gambling and sports betting industry. Drawing on this background, he believes there is a significant opportunity within the UK’s growing prize draw market, with Big Leagues aiming to offer something different from existing operators.
Speaking about the opportunity, Shaw said:
“I wanted to find something in the UK that I thought was growing and that I thought had meaningful consumer demand behind it. I spent a bit of time looking at the various different parts of the market, and it was pretty clear to me that prize draws had both of those things.”
He went on to explain why he believes a multi-sport approach could help Big Leagues stand out from its competitors:
“Having come out of sports betting, I know that most people are interested in more than one sport, and so 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. I think the sports companies, they’ve all gone into one specific sport, and I think they’ve all hit the ceiling to some degree. And so, I wanted to be the company that branches across all those different areas.”
The launch introduces an exciting new entrant to the UK’s sports prize draw market, with a range of bucket-list experiences available to participants. These include a trip to the Masters, Champions League hospitality packages and even a private box at the hugely popular Cheltenham Festival, which takes place every March.
Big Leagues has also issued a press release announcing its launch and is actively looking to establish new partnerships with brands, sports organisations and charities as it seeks to expand its presence across the UK.
It promises to be an interesting period for the company, particularly as prize draws have continued to grow in popularity in recent years. With consumers increasingly attracted to the prospect of winning exclusive experiences, Big Leagues will be hoping to establish itself as a leading name in this competitive market.
Regulation and the Future of the UK Prize Draw Market
Regulation is another area likely to attract increasing attention as the UK prize draw industry continues to develop.
The Government introduced a Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators in 2025, aimed at improving consumer protection and encouraging responsible practices across the sector.
However, industry figures have raised concerns that a significant number of active prize draw operators have yet to sign up to the voluntary code.
Big Leagues has already signed up to the code and has expressed its support for greater regulatory oversight of the industry.
This early commitment to responsible practices could help the platform establish credibility with consumers and potential commercial partners as it looks to grow.
With an experienced founder, substantial initial funding and a focus on premium sporting experiences, Big Leagues will be an interesting company to watch as competition within the UK’s prize draw market continues to increase.
