The Ultimate Enduring Classic

Stefan, Classic Pools has survived for more than a century. What do you think is the single biggest reason it has remained relevant when so many betting products have come and gone?

The biggest reason is that Classic Pools has always been easy to understand and enjoyable to play. Football has changed enormously over the last century, but the appeal of predicting the weekend’s score draws has remained remarkably consistent. You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy Classic Pools. Over the years, new betting products have come and gone, but there’s still something special about making your selections before kick-off and following the football as the weekend unfolds.

Sportsbooks have become pretty complex with Bet Builders, Same Game Parlays, in-play betting and personalised offers. Has that created an opportunity for a simpler product like Classic Pools?

We think there’s room for both. We see it less as one approach and more as giving football fans different ways to enjoy the game. There’s clearly an appetite for more complex betting products, but there are plenty who appreciate something that’s straightforward and easy to engage with. With Classic Pools, you don’t need to monitor live odds or constantly make decisions during a match. It offers a different kind of experience, one that’s focused on the anticipation of the weekend rather than the pace of in-play betting.

The premise of Classic Pools hasn’t really changed – pick 10 score draws. How difficult is it to know what to modernise and what should remain untouched?

It’s about recognising what customers value most. Classic Pools has stood the test of time because it’s simple, familiar and easy to understand, so there’s no reason to reinvent that. Where we focus our efforts is on improving the experience around the game. That means making the journey more intuitive and ensuring the product meets the expectations of modern players while preserving the qualities that have made it so popular for generations.

During the World Cup, did you see different player behaviour compared with a domestic football season? What lessons are you taking into the 2026-27 campaign?

One interesting takeaway from the World Cup was that customers engaged just as strongly with international football as they do with the domestic game when the experience remained simple and familiar. It reinforced our belief that the appeal of predicting score draws transcends individual competitions. That’s something we’re taking into the 2026-27 season. Whatever the competition, the fundamentals of Classic Pools remain the same: make your selections and enjoy watching the results unfold.

Is your biggest challenge attracting a younger audience that has grown up with instant betting and live wagering, or retaining the players who already know and love the product?

It’s about striking the right balance rather than prioritising one audience over the other. We’re proud that Classic Pools has been enjoyed by generations of football fans and continuing to deliver a great experience for those loyal customers will always be important. Concurrently, we’re seeing interest from players who are discovering Classic Pools for the first time. Many are looking for a different way to engage with football that doesn’t require them to follow every moment of every match. Our focus is on ensuring that Classic Pools is relevant and accessible to both groups.

How much of today’s Classic Pools audience is completely new to the game rather than returning players who remember playing decades ago?

We don’t tend to focus on spitting our audience into specific groups. What’s most important to us is that Classic Pools continues to resonate with both long-standing customers and people discovering the game for the first time. It’s always encouraging to see new players experience Classic Pools, while at the same time knowing that many existing customers have made it part of their football routine over the years. Our priority is to make sure that experience works for everyone.

What role has digital transformation played? Has moving online changed how people engage with Pools, or simply made it easier to access?

Digital transformation has been about making Classic Pools more convenient and accessible, while preserving the experience customers know and enjoy. Moving online hasn’t changed the essence of the game, but it has transformed how easily people can access it. Customers can now play in seconds, manage subscriptions digitally and engage with Classic Pools wherever they are – something that simply wasn’t possible a generation ago. It’s about using digital technology to remove friction from the customer journey without changing what makes the product distinctive.

Many operators are investing heavily in AI-driven personalisation and increasingly sophisticated recommendation engines. Does Classic Pools deliberately resist that complexity, or are there ways technology can enhance a simple product without changing its essence?

Technology should always improve the customer experience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean making the product more complex. For us, the priority is using technology in ways that makes Classic Pools easier to access and more enjoyable, while keeping the core game as straightforward as it’s always been. AI can help us deliver a better customer experience behind the scenes, whether that’s improving customer support or helping customers find the right products more quickly. The important thing is that it enhances the experience without changing the simplicity that makes Classic Pools appealing.

One of the attractions of Classic Pools has always been the anticipation that builds over the weekend. Is delayed excitement still attractive to the modern punter?

Absolutely. We believe that anticipation is timeless. While the way people consume football has evolved, there’s still something special about looking ahead to a weekend of fixtures and seeing how your predictions unfold. That sense of anticipation is a big part of what makes Classic Pools different. For many football fans, Saturday afternoon remains a ritual. You make your selections before kick-off, follow the matches as they happen and share in the excitement as the results come in. It’s a more considered experience that complements the football, as opposed to competing for your attention whilst the games are being played.

How important is the £3m jackpot in attracting players today?

The £3million jackpot is undoubtedly a major attraction. It captures the imagination and reminds people of the life-changing opportunities that have always been part of Classic Pools’ appeal. At the same time, it’s not just about the headline prize. Every week, customers have the opportunity to win a range of prizes, and we saw some fantastic stories last season. One long-standing customer won more than £290,000 after correctly predicting eight score draws, a reminder that memorable wins happen across our prize structure, not just at the very top. The jackpot gives people something extraordinary to dream about, but the wider range of prizes means there’s always something to play for. At The Pools, we pride ourselves on offering prizes both big and small, to customers old and new.

Looking beyond this season, where do you see the biggest opportunities for Classic Pools? Is the focus on attracting new audiences, developing the product further, or reinforcing its position as one of Britain’s most recognisable betting brands?

Our ambition is simple: to ensure another generation of football fans discovers why Classic Pools has remained part of British football culture for more than 100 years. The product has evolved alongside the game throughout that time, and we believe it still has a very exciting future ahead.