How do I play Sports Pools?

This is a guide to some of key features offered by Sports Pools For the full terms and conditions which govern your betting with us, please see the Terms of Play.

1. HOW DO I PLAY SPORTS POOLS?

1.1 We choose a set of events, for example a series of Premier League football matches, and you tell us what you think the results of those matches will be.

1.2 Each bet costs £2 and if you predict the correct result of all the matches/events in a pool you will win or share in the Jackpot prize for that pool.

1.3 In many pools, there will also be a chance to win a Bonus prize and a Consolation prize (each of which is described in more detail below).

1.4 You can make any number of selections of alternative results in your ticket thereby creating a new bet. For example, let's take a look at our headline bet, the £10,000,000 Sports Pool in which your aim is to pick 7 correct scores.

If you choose three scores in the first match, two scores in the second match and one score in each of the five remaining matches, this would constitute six bets (or six 'lines'). Each bet costs £2 and our bet placement engine will total up the amount of bets multiplied by your stake to show the total amount staked on your ticket, as displayed below.

1.5 We don't just offer correct score pools, we also offer correct outcome (Home/Draw/Away or 'HDA') pools. Bet placement for HDA pools operate in the same manner as our correct score pools and an example is displayed below.

2. WHAT CAN I WIN?

2.1 JACKPOT PRIZES

If you predict the correct result (i.e. the correct score in a 'Correct Score' pool or the correct outcome in a HDA pool) of all the matches listed, you will win a share of the Jackpot prize.

2.2 BONUS PRIZES

For pools in which a Bonus prize is offered, winners of the Jackpot prize will have an opportunity to predict the result of a single additional match selected by us (typically the score of another match in the same competition as the original multi-leg bet; for example, one of the matches in the following weekend's fixtures). Qualifying Players who predict the correct score of this additional event will win or share the Bonus prize.

2.3 CONSOLATION PRIZES

For pools in which a Consolation prize is offered (currently The Sports Pool and 'Pick 6' Correct Scorepools), all Players who have chosen the correct outcome in each leg, but not necessarily the correct score will win a share in the Consolation fund prize.

3. CASHING-IN YOUR TICKET

3.1 A unique feature of Sports Pool is that Players who have 'live' tickets (i.e. tickets which can still potentially win the Jackpot prize and/or the Consolation prize) will be offered an amount by us to cash-in those tickets. Cash-in offers will typically be available between the finish of one match in a pool and the start of the next match and at half-time periods.

3.2 When you receive an offer from Sports Pools to buy your ticket, you may elect to cash-in a portion of it (a "partial cash-in"). Use the sider bar as displayed below to decide what portion of your ticket you wish to cash-in. In the example below, by clicking the 'Cash-In Now' button, the Player is about to cash-in 20% of this ticket. This means he/she will still own 80% of the ticket, which can subsequently be cashed-in (in full or in part) as long as the ticket remains 'live'.

3.3 In the case of a partial cash-in, Sports Pools assumes ownership of the share of the ticket you have cashed-in. You will retain ownership of the part of your ticket not cashed-in.

For example, if you cashed-in a total of 50% of an ultimately successful ticket in a pool with a Jackpot prize payout of £1,000,000, you would receive £500,000. If that pool also had a Consolation prize, you would similarly receive 50% of the Consolation prize applicable to the ticket. Finally if this pool also offered a Bonus prize, you would be entitled to make a selection in the Bonus leg and if that selection were also successful you would also receive 50% of the Bonus prize dividend.

4. 4. WHERE DOES MY STAKE GO?

Depending on the pool you are playing, each £2 stake may be spread across three prize funds. Stakes will be allocated as follows:

4.1 Stakes on "Sports Pools" and the 'Pick 6' Correct Score pools shall be allocated between the Jackpot prize fund, Bonus prize fund and Consolation prize fund, as follows:

60% of stakes shall be allocated to the Jackpot prize fund;

20% of stakes shall be allocated to the Consolation prize fund; and

20% of stakes shall be allocated to the Bonus prize fund.

4.2 For other pools, including HDA pools and 'Pick 3' correct score pools), 100% of stakes will be allocated to the Jackpot prize fund.

4.3 Total amounts held in each pool at any given time shall be displayed on the site.

4.4 All stakes bet into pools offered by Colossus Bets are subject to a 30% deduction (unless stated otherwise). The allocation between pools referred to in paragraph 4.1 above, is described before this deduction.

5. ROLLOVERS

If any pool is not won, then the stakes held in that pool will carry forward into the next equivalent pool (and so on indefinitely). The Jackpot, Bonus and Consolation prize funds for a given pool will rollover and grow independently.