Grand National Sweepstake Kit 2027: Free Printable and Draw Generator
By the MyHorseBets team · Updated · 7 min read
A Grand National sweepstake is the easiest way to get a whole office, family or group of friends behind the race. Everyone pays the same small entry, horses are drawn at random, and whoever draws the winner takes the biggest prize. This free Grand National sweepstake kit does the fiddly part for you: print numbered slips and an entry sheet for a draw from a hat, or type in the names and let the generator draw them.
The Grand National 2027 is on Saturday 10 April 2027, scheduled for 4.00pm. The final field of up to 34 runners is expected to be declared on Wednesday 7 April 2027, so you can run the draw now with racecard numbers or wait and draw the horses by name. Our Grand National 2027 guide has the full timetable.
The Free Grand National Sweepstake Kit
Running it at work for money? The Gambling Commission's rules for work lotteries need paper tickets and a draw on the premises, not online, so print the blank kit and draw from a hat. Everything here happens in your browser: the names you type are never sent to us, and the draw uses your browser's secure random number generator.
- Prize pot
- £0.00
- Horses drawn
- 0
Add the names and press Draw. You can redraw as often as you like before you share it.
Two ways to use it
- Print a blank kit for a draw from a hat. You get 34 numbered slips to cut out (change the number of horses first if you need fewer) and an entry sheet with a line for each number. This is the right choice for an office sweepstake with money involved (see the rules below).
- Draw it on screen. Type the names of everyone taking part, choose numbers or horse names, and press Draw. You can deal every horse round the group, so nobody misses out and some people get two, or give one horse each. Print the result or copy it into a group chat.
Nothing you type leaves your browser. We don’t store the names, and the draw uses your device’s secure random number generator, so every person has the same chance of every horse.
Draw Numbers Now or Horses Later?
You don’t have to wait for the final field to run a sweepstake. Most printable kits use racecard numbers for exactly that reason.
Drawing racecard numbers before the declarations
Each horse in the race gets a number on the racecard, from 1 for the top weight down to the bottom of the handicap. If you draw numbers 1 to 34 in advance, each person knows which slot they have, and you fill in the horses’ names once the field is declared on Wednesday 7 April 2027. The advantage is timing: you can collect the money and do the draw the week before. The drawback is that nobody knows what they’ve got until the declarations, and a withdrawal can leave a number without a horse.
Drawing horse names after the declarations
Once the final 34 are known, paste the list into the generator (one horse per line) and draw names directly. People see their horse straight away, which is more fun, but you only have from Wednesday to Saturday to organise it. If you do this, keep the six reserves to hand: a reserve can still come into the race if a horse is withdrawn before the deadline, expected at 1pm on Friday 9 April 2027.
Grand National Sweepstake Rules That Avoid Arguments
Agree the rules before anyone pays. These are the points that cause the most disputes, with the simplest fix for each.
Entry and number of horses
- One price per horse. Everyone pays the same for each horse they draw. With 34 horses at £1 each, the pot is £34.
- More people than horses? Either cap entries at 34 or let people share a horse and split any prize.
- Fewer people than horses? Deal every horse round the group, so some people get two. Each horse still costs the same entry.
Prize splits
There is no official split. A few that work well:
| Pot of £34 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner takes most (60/20/10/10) | £20.40 | £6.80 | £3.40 | £3.40 |
| Spread it out (50/25/15/10) | £17 | £8.50 | £5.10 | £3.40 |
| Winner takes all (100) | £34 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Many sweepstakes also give the last finisher their money back, which keeps interest going after the leaders have passed the post. Whatever you choose, all of the money should go back out as prizes: the organiser can’t take a cut (see the law below).
Non-runners, fallers and the last horse home
- If your horse is withdrawn before the race and replaced by a reserve, you take the reserve. If it isn’t replaced, the simplest rule is a refund of that entry.
- Fallers and horses that don’t finish count as not placed. Only horses that complete the course can win a place prize.
- “Last horse home” means the last horse to finish, not the last one still running when the leaders finish.
- Dead heats: split the prizes for the tied positions equally.
Running a Sweepstake: What the Law Says
In Great Britain, a sweepstake with an entry fee is a form of lottery, and the Gambling Commission sets out when you can run one without a licence. Two of the types it describes fit most Grand National sweepstakes.
At work
The Gambling Commission’s guidance on running a lottery with people you work with gives “an office sweepstake for the Grand National” as its own example of a work lottery that doesn’t need a licence. The main conditions, as the guidance puts them:
- Everyone taking part must work at the same physical location; you can’t run one across several offices.
- It can’t make a profit: the money goes on prizes and reasonable expenses, or to charity.
- Tickets must be physical, sold in person at work, at the same price, and can’t be sold online, by email or by phone.
- The draw must take place on the premises, not online.
So for a work sweepstake with money, print the blank kit, sell the slips in person and draw them from a hat in the office. The on-screen draw is better suited to a no-money sweepstake or to working out who has which horse once the paper draw is done.
At home
The Gambling Commission’s page on types of lottery you can run without a licence also describes a residents’ lottery, for people who live at the same place, which likewise can’t make a profit. If your sweepstake doesn’t fit one of the Commission’s types, read its guidance before you collect money. This is general information, not legal advice.
From Sweepstake to Bet
A sweepstake costs a pound or two and pays out among friends; a bet is between you and a bookmaker. If you want to back your sweepstake horse as well, remember that the Grand National is a 34-runner handicap, so each way bets pay at least four places at 1/4 of the odds under standard terms, and most bookmakers offer extra places on the race. A £2 each way bet (£4 in total) on a 25/1 shot returns £14.50 if it places and £66.50 if it wins. Our each way calculator shows the figures for any price and our guide on how to bet on the Grand National covers the rest. Betting is for over-18s only.
A sweepstake is a bit of fun for a pound or two. If you bet on the race as well, set a limit first and stick to it. Gambling responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
There is no official rulebook. The usual rules are: everyone pays the same entry per horse, horses or racecard numbers are drawn at random, and prizes go to the people holding the first few finishers. Agree how you'll handle non-runners, ties and the split before anyone pays.
Yes. The kit on this page is free and needs no sign-up: print numbered slips and an entry sheet for a draw from a hat, or type in names and let the generator draw them. It works for up to 40 horses, so it also suits other big races.
You can draw names on screen, but for a work sweepstake with money the Gambling Commission's work lottery rules require paper tickets sold in person and a draw on the premises, not online. For that, print the blank kit and draw from a hat.
Up to 34, the maximum field since 2024. The final field is expected to be declared on Wednesday 7 April 2027. If you draw before then, use racecard numbers 1 to 34 and fill in the horses' names once the field is confirmed.
It depends on the rules you agree. The most common approach: if a reserve replaces your horse, you take the reserve; if the horse isn't replaced, your entry is refunded. Decide this before the draw to avoid arguments on the day.