Circa Sports sets $31.6 million NFL contest prize money record

Circa Sports has set a new record for guaranteed prize money in its NFL handicapping contests, reaching $31.6 million across three events. The Las Vegas operator eclipsed last year’s $20.2 million payout from its Survivor and Million contests, both of which carried $1,000 entry fees.

The 2025 lineup features Survivor, Million, and the new Grandissimo contest, which attracted a combined 24,472 entries. Circa Survivor led the way with 18,718 entries and an $18.7 million prize pool, surpassing its $15 million guarantee and establishing the largest payout in the history of a legal sports betting contest. Last year’s Survivor awarded $14.3 million, split among eight winners.

The Circa Million, in which entrants make five weekly NFL picks against the spread, drew 5,685 entries — short of its 6,000 goal. Circa funded a $315,000 overlay to cover the $6 million guarantee.

The inaugural Grandissimo, a $100,000-entry version of Survivor, drew 69 participants for a $6.9 million prize pool. Both Survivor formats require contestants to pick one straight-up NFL winner each week over 20 contest legs, with each team used only once.

“We raise the bar every year because our owner continues to [entice contestants] by raising the guarantees. Derek is all-in. He is passionate, involved, and overall just a great guy who loves to be on the floor with his staff and customers,” Circa Sportsbook Operations Director Jeff Benson told CasinoBeats.

Circa owner Derek Stevens commented on X (@DerekJStevens): “Blew away the record. Great for everyone here at Circa Sports. Great for fabulous Las Vegas. And really great to everyone who participated in the save Jeff campaign. It worked.” Benson had previously joked on X that “if we don’t hit 6,000 entries in the Millions, Derek says I might be canned.”

In the main Survivor contest, 518 entries were eliminated in Week 1, including 24 who did not submit picks. The New England Patriots’ 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders accounted for 269 eliminations, while 25 contestants advanced by backing the Raiders.

All 69 Grandissimo entries advanced through the opening week.

Westgate reports growth in SuperContests

While Circa drew the headlines with its record prize pools, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook reported increases across its four contests, which collectively carried $2.5 million in guarantees.

The original SuperContest, requiring five weekly NFL picks against the spread, attracted 751 sign-ups for a $1.13 million pool. Its $5,000-entry Gold version drew 67 contestants for $335,000 in winner-take-all prize money.

The new $500-entry College SuperContest registered 1,080 entries for a $540,000 pool, while the $5,000-entry Survivor contest ended with 111 participants and $555,000 in prizes.

“Survivor went well. The winner gets $555,000. I think that’s a good number. We knew that the Survivor was going to cannibalize the Gold. But when you look at the total amount of money we took in this year as opposed to last year, it was a very significant increase. Overall, I have to say it was a success,” said Westgate Vice President of Race and Sports John Murray

On the new college contest, Murray added: “We didn’t really know what to expect from the College. The winner gets $216,000. That’s a pretty good amount for a college contest.”