A sweep is when a number of people pay to purchase a set of tickets, each representing a horse. The tickets are given out randomly, and each ticket costs the same (usually $1 – $10), so there is no skill element involved, and odds are ignored completely. The prize pool is made up of the receipts exclusively, and is divided out to the holders of the tickets for winning horses. Typically, first place will win about half of the prize pool, with the remainder divided on a sliding scale to second, third, and sometimes fourth place. There may even be some money given to last place, considering the random nature of a sweep.