Las Vegas football contest rundown: Circa faces $10M overlay

Circa Sports has paid almost $4 million the past three years to cover football contest overlays — the amount of money the sportsbook must add to the prize pool in addition to the entry fees.

Three weeks before this year’s NFL season opener, the downtown Las Vegas book is on the hook for $10 million in overlays to meet a record $16 million in guaranteed prize money for its two $1,000-entry handicapping contests.

“Each of the last couple years, we thought we weren’t going to have (an overlay). I’m still thinking that right now,” Circa owner Derek Stevens said Wednesday. “I don’t like the overlay. We’ve also felt it’s important to put a guarantee out there. It’s in the best interest of the consumer to know the size of the pot.

“That’s an important element to getting in the contest. It also really differentiates Circa.”

Circa needs 10,000 entries in its Survivor contest to meet its unprecedented $10 million in guaranteed prize money, up from $8 million last year. It needs 6,000 entries in its Million VI contest to meet its $6 million guarantee.

The book had 4,187 entries in Survivor ($5.8 million overlay) on Tuesday and 1,780 ($4.2 million) in Million. The NFL season kicks off Sept. 5.

“We’re pacing pretty good,” Stevens said. “We’ve had big surges in the last 10 days each year, but you just never know.”

Circa drew 9,267 entries in Survivor last year and 5,274 in Million.

“We’re excited that Circa Survivor will again set the all-time record for the biggest legal football contest,” Stevens said. “I’m proud that it’s at Circa and I’m proud that you’ve got to come to Las Vegas. It’s good for our city, it’s good for tourism and I’m real happy about that.”

Four entries went 20-0 last year to split the $9,267,000 prize in Survivor. The contest asks competitors to pick one NFL winner with no point spread each week — including separate weeks for Thanksgiving and Christmas — but they can use each team only once.

The thrill ride will be recounted in a five-episode docuseries, “Circa Survivor: The Quest for $9.2 Million,” which will air on VSiN starting at 6 p.m. Monday.

“It should be pretty fun to watch,” Stevens said. “It documented the whole year with all the ups and downs and the crazy characters.”

Here is a rundown of the major handicapping contests offered in Las Vegas. Entry fees range from $5 to $5,000. Complete rules are available at the sportsbooks:

Circa Sports

Contest: Circa Million VI

— Entry fee: $1,000; limit five per person.

— Details: Select five NFL games ATS each week; $6 million guaranteed prize pool. The contest will pay out 100 percent of the entry fees. The top 100 places will be paid, with $1 million going to the winner, $3.65 million to places two through 100 and $1.2 million in quarterly prizes, along with a $100,000 last-place booby prize. Second-to-last gets $50,000.

— Properties: Circa, D Las Vegas, Legends Bay, The Pass, Tuscany and the Silverton.

Contest: Circa Survivor

— Entry fee: $1,000; limit 10 per person.

— Details: Select a different NFL team with no point spreads each week. One loss or tie means elimination. The winner takes prize pool with $10 million guaranteed. Each NFL team can be selected only once by each entry. Up to 20 picks: NFL Weeks 1 through 18, plus Thanksgiving Day/Black Friday and Christmas leg (Wednesday/Thursday).

— Properties: Circa, D Las Vegas, Legends Bay, The Pass, Tuscany and the Silverton.

Golden Nugget

Contest: Ultimate Football Challenge

— Entry fee: $1,000; limit three per person.

— Details: Select seven college and/or NFL sides ATS during the 18-week NFL season. The contest will pay out 97 percent of the entry fees to the top 20 finishers, with 40 percent going to first place, 20 percent to second and 10 percent to third.

South Point

Contest: Pro Football Kickoff Weekend Jackpot Parlay Card

— Entry fee: $5; no limit on number of cards played.

— Details: Select all 14 NFL games with no point spreads Sunday and Monday in Week 1, along with Jets-49ers total; contestant with the most correct selections wins the jackpot, with $25,000 guaranteed.

— Properties: South Point, Rampart Casino, CasaBlanca Resort, Virgin River.

Station Casinos

Contest: Last Man Standing (Pro)

— Entry fee: $25; limit four with fifth free.

— Details: Select one NFL game ATS each week. One loss means elimination. The winner takes prize pool with $150,000 minimum guaranteed.

Contest: Last Man Standing (College)

— Entry fee: $25; limit four with fifth free.

— Details: Select one college game ATS each week. One loss means elimination. The winner takes prize pool with $100,000 minimum guaranteed.

— Properties: All Station Casinos, Wildfire locations, Barley’s Casino and El Cortez.

Westgate SuperBook

Contest: SuperContest

— Entry fee: $1,000; limit seven per person.

— Details: Select five NFL games ATS each week; $810,000 guaranteed for 11 in-season contests (six three-week, three six-week, two nine-week). The remaining entry fees will go to the season-long prize pool, with the top 20 places paid. The contest will pay out 100 percent of the entry fees.

Contest: SuperContest Gold

— Entry fee: $5,000; limit one per person.

— Details: Select five NFL games ATS each week. The winner takes all.

Contest: SuperContest Reboot

— Entry fee: $500; limit five per person.

— Details: Select five NFL games ATS each week in Weeks 10 to 18. The contest will pay out 100 percent of the entry fees, with the top 10 places paid.

Contest: NFL Season Wins Challenge

— Entry fee: $200; limit three per person.

— Details: Select over or under regular-season win total for all 32 NFL teams. The top five places are paid, with first place winning 50 percent of pool.

William Hill/Caesars Sportsbook

Contest: Pro Pick’em

— Entry fee: $25; limit 15 per person; purchase four and get one free entry.

— Details: Select Sunday, Monday and select Saturday NFL games with no point spreads; $210,000 guaranteed prize pool; $10,000 weekly cash prize awarded to entry with the most winners; $20,000 grand prize for season. Also, there is a $1 million bonus prize for picking 215 winners or more in the 18-week season.

— Properties: All William Hill and Caesars Sportsbooks in Nevada.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.