Vegas Contests Offer Season-Long Version Of NFL Betting

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

7 minute read

NFL betting will soon dominate the U.S. sports wagering conversation, as it always does. There is no shortage of ways to bet on the NFL on a week-to-week basis.

But there's also a way – and in fact, multiple ways, should you choose – to have action every weekend of the season in one fell swoop. Through a variety of NFL contests offered by Las Vegas sportsbooks, a one-time entry fee gets you in the game all season long. And people flock from all over the country to enter these contests.

The SuperBook's Jay Kornegay and Circa Sports' Jeff Benson provide their insights on popular NFL picks contests.

The Originator

Way back in 1988, The SuperBook had an idea: Create a season-long NFL picks contest. It required entrants to make five plays a week from the NFL odds board, against the spread.

Thirty-five years later, The SuperContest is still going strong.

"The originator was Art Manteris," Kornegay said. "His team did a wonderful job of coming up with the format, the structure and the balance needed to make a competitive environment. That attracted all elements of the football-betting world, from the educated players to the novices.

"You know something is good when it stands the test of time. And the SuperContest has done that."

But not without evolving over that time. Kornegay took over operations at The SuperBook in 2004 and currently oversees the book in his role as vice president of race and sports for Westgate. He has worked with his well-regarded team to continually add elements that give more contestants a chance to finish in the money.

"The first thing we added was the mini-contest. If you signed up by a certain date, you were eligible for that contest, which only included the last three weeks of the regular season. It was very popular," Kornegay said. "When you have another chance, it spikes your interest, it keeps you in the game. You'll be vested until the very end.

"With that in mind, we've added more in-season contests. This year, we've got 11 in-season contests, under the umbrella of the full-season contest."

Pay Once, Play 12 Times

So those who pay the $1,000 entry fee for the 2023-24 SuperContest have a dozen ways in which they could cash out. Along with the full season, the contest now offers:

• Six three-week contests, paying out to the top three finishers ($25,000/$10,000/$5,000)
• Three six-week contests, paying out to the top four finishers ($50,000/$25,000/$10,000/$5,000)
• Two nine-week contests, paying out to the top five finishers ($75,000/$40,000/$20,000/$10,000/$5,000)

Based on those offerings, the full-season SuperContest now pays out to the top 20 finishers. Those contestants share in the prize pool that remains after the in-season contest payouts. The overall winner will get 42% of that remaining pool, with a sliding scale of winnings for places 2-20.

The top 100 no longer cash in the full-season contest. But all the mini-contests give far more contestants the opportunity to share in the windfall.

"Our contests are spread out across the year, and it gives everybody a decent chance to win. There are a lot of different ways to win," Kornegay said. "We've had so much positive feedback about the in-season contests that we've made them a big part of The SuperContest today.

"How much more excitement is that for a football fan, to be in a position to win some good cash? Basically, you're reborn every three weeks."

As Kornegay noted, The SuperBook has never shied away from innovation or making changes. But a little competition certainly helps keep the innovative juices flowing. Which brings us to ...

Circa Million/Circa Survivor

Back in 2019, hotel-casino owner Derek Stevens made a big splash in the Vegas NFL betting space by introducing Circa Million. The format mirrored The SuperContest, with five NFL picks against the spread each week.

But the winner was guaranteed $1 million, in a no-rake contest, meaning all entry fees – $1.875 million in that first year, at $1,000 per contestant – went into the prize pool. The top 10 finishers in the season-long contest cashed.

In addition, there were four quarterly prizes of $143,750, awarded to the first-place finisher of each quarter.

"The contest atmosphere as a whole was maybe lacking," said Circa Sports director of operations Jeff Benson said. "Circa Sports came in and offered a no-rake contest in 2019, and then the biggest Survivor contest in the world in 2020."

Indeed, Stevens and the Circa Sports team expanded in 2020, with Circa Million II and the new Circa Survivor contest. The Circa Million prize pool bumped to $2 million, with the winner again guaranteed $1 million. And the last-place finisher earned a $100,000 booby prize.

Circa Survivor offered a $1 million, winner-take-all pot to the last entrant alive after making one NFL straight-up winner pick each week. And there was a $1 million bonus to anyone who went a perfect 18-0. As it turned out, 39 contestants in the field of 1,390 went 18-0, so they all chopped up $2.39 million. Do the math there, and you'll see Stevens had to pony up $1 million out of his own pocket.

A key component to both Circa contests – a facet the SuperContest phased in, as well – was getting them on a mobile app. Yes, you have to be within the state of Nevada to make the plays, but you don't have to go to the sportsbook to do so.

"Getting the contests on the app, with no rake and with a guarantee on prize money, kind of fueled the fire. It poured gasoline on that growth," Benson said.

Life-Changing Money

The past two NFL seasons, both Circa Million and Circa Survivor have grown immensely in popularity, prize money and entrants. Circa Million IV drew 4,691 entrants – meaning that, with a $6 million guaranteed purse, there was $1.3 million in overlay that Stevens had to pay out of his pocket

Circa Survivor III attracted 6,133 entries at $1,000 apiece, just enough to cover that $6 million guarantee.

For the upcoming season, Circa Million V will again have a guaranteed $6 million total payout. The winner is assured of $1 million, and places 2-100 get a share of $3.65 million. There are $300,000 in quarterly prizes, and the booby prize expands to last place ($100,000) and second-to-last ($50,000).

Circa Survivor IV goes even further, with a whopping $8 million guaranteed to the last person standing – or last people standing, as the case might be. Last year, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas were added in as their own "weeks," and that will again be the case this year. So a perfect season requires going 20-0, which two entrants did last year.

"It's nice just seeing the growth, the amount of sign-ups and amount of coverage the contests get," Benson said. "As a sportsbook, we aren't offering the widest, deepest menu. Offering the contests is something people really like, and that has helped us expand our brand.

"People have the chance to win life-changing money. That's been fun to be a part of."

And the outgoing Stevens makes it all possible.

"When you look around, outside of Daily Fantasy Sports, there wasn't anybody who put up a guarantee," Benson said. "The overlays we've had in certain years, and the bonus prizes, it's certainly been something where it's cost us quite a bit. But that's our way to promote and give the best contest to our players.

"All the credit goes to Derek, to make people aware of our brand."

Benson fully anticipates continued growth with the 2023-24 contests.

"If not, we're gonna be in big trouble!"

More Picks Contests

First, a point of order: The aforementioned contests and the ones noted below are open to those 21 and up. And you don't have to live in Nevada to enter. However, you must enter in person at the respective sportsbook, you must designate a proxy – whomever is putting in your picks each week – and that proxy should be with you at signup.

Now then, a couple more contests to note, in the event you live in Vegas or are traveling out before the NFL or college football seasons open.

The Golden Nugget, right across Fremont Street from Circa Las Vegas, will again hold its Ultimate Football Challenge. In this contest, entrants make seven plays against the spread each week, but can do so from the NFL and/or college football odds, as all FBS games are in play, as well. In this case, picks must be done in person each week.

Entry fee is $1,000, and weekly picks must be submitted in person. The top 10 finishers cash, with 40% going to the winner. Places 11-20 get their entry fee returned. Golden Nugget sportsbook director Tony Miller noted that one of the contest's advantages is that it's much smaller than, say, the neighboring Circa contests.

"There's a great chance of collecting some decent money, with a ton less entries," Miller said. "Plus, it's the only contest around where you can also play college football, with choices from every game on the rotation."

And in addition to the SuperContest, The SuperBook has three more NFL picks contest:

• SuperContest Gold, $5,000 entry fee, winner takes all
• SuperContest Reboot, $500 entry fee, for the second half of the NFL season
• SuperBook Pro Football Season Wins Challenge, $200 entry fee, pick Over/Under on the win total for each of the 32 teams

Like Circa Sports, all four of The SuperBook's contests and the Golden Nugget's contest feature no rake. All entry fees go into the prize pool.

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Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson