The NFL season is on (as of now) and so are the big Las Vegas football handicapping contests. Both Circa Sports and the Westgate will welcome contestants to Las Vegas on Aug. 21 and 22, 2020.
Circa Sports will host a sports betting seminar and meet and greet with Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN) hosts. The Westgate will host a golf outing and dinner as it welcomes new and existing contestants to Sin City.
Westgate SuperContest golf outing
The Westgate started SuperContest Weekend in 2012 to help drum up extra interest in the most well-known professional football handicapping contest. The weekend has evolved over the years and is now mostly known for its golf outing at Las Vegas Country Club.
The SuperContest golf outing is a fairly low-key event. All ages and skill levels are welcome to play golf. The event might be a little smaller this year than in previous years, as everyone must plan for social distancing. Reach out directly to the Westgate SuperBook to reserve a space in the event.
There will be a socially distanced dinner inside a ballroom at the Westgate after the golf outing. There will be raffles and SuperContest entry giveaways.
Circa Sports seminar
Circa Sports is stepping in to pick up one of the parts of the welcome weekend. The sportsbook operator with multiple Las Vegas locations will host a sports betting seminar that doubles as a mixer for Circa Sports Million contestants and sports fans. There will also be a meet and greet with the seminar participants the following day for guests who spend multiple nights in Las Vegas.
The seminar with Mitch Moss, Gill Alexander, Matt Youmans, and Michael Lombardi from VSiN will take place on Aug. 21 in the Grand Ballroom at The D Las Vegas. The seminar guests will be hanging out the following night, Aug. 22, at BarCanada at The D for a meet and greet with fans.
If successful it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Circa Sports welcome weekend move to Circa Resort & Casino next year. The casino will open on Oct. 28 while the hotel is on schedule to open before the year is over.
Tales of different football contests
Westgate SuperContest(s)
The SuperContest is the granddaddy of all football handicapping contests. There were 3,328 entrants in last year’s $1,500 buy-in SuperContest. The winner took home just under $1.5 million. This year, the SuperContest will offer quarterly prizes for the first time. First place each quarter wins $100,000.
SuperContest Gold and the SuperContest Mid-season Reboot join the main handicapping contest this year. SuperContest Gold has a $5,000 entry fee. This is a winner-take-all contest with similar rules as the traditional contest. The SuperContest Mid-season Reboot is the mid-season contest for weeks nine through 17. The smaller contest has an entry fee of $500.
View rules for all three SuperContests here.
Circa Sports Millions
Circa Sports Millions returns for its second year with more prize money and a new contest. The prizes are boosted in the original Circa Sports Million football handicapping contest. The winner will walk away with $1 million.
Meanwhile, the contestant with the worst record after all 17 weeks of the season will take home a “booby prize” of $100,000. Additionally, quarterly prizes will be given out four times during the season. The top quarterly prize is $150,000. Second place each quarter wins $75,000. Third place each quarter takes home $25,000.
This year Circa will also offer a survivor contest for sports bettors who would prefer a different type of contest. Circa Survivor is a winner-take-all contest with a prize of $1 million.
There’s no administration fee with either of the Circa Sports contests. The sportsbook operator will increase prizes if entry fees exceed the promoted prizes. The quarterly winners in Circa Sports Millions will see larger prizes. The grand prize will be more if the Survivor exceeds the breakeven point.