The $1,000 per entry Circa Survivor NFL contest has seen more than 10,000 players booted from the competition in two weeks. That’s after a series of underdog victories in the opening NFL weeks.
Now the competition organizer, Las Vegas-based Circa Sports, is offering deals to the losing players.
The yearly competition set a new record in 2024, with 14,266 entries in the pool. Players simply have to pick the winner in any NFL matchup each week, selecting each team only once. Pick wrong and you’re out. The last remaining players split the $14.26-million prize pool.
However, after week two this year, there were just 3,877 players remaining. Circa is now offering the 10,000 or so eliminated contestants a free two- or three-night stay at Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas.
The Losers
The $1,000 entry Circa Survivor contest tasks players with picking one team per week to win their matchup over the 18- week season. Each team can only be picked once per player. Incorrect picks lose their place in the competition.
This year, top Super Bowl favorites before the season started have already racked up plenty of injuries in key positions. That led to some upset results in weeks one and two, dumping slightly more than 10,000 players out of the competition.
That’s 82.8% of the player pool out of the game after two weeks, or just 11% of the season.
The pick that accounted for the highest percentage of early dropouts was the Cincinnati Bengals, who suffered a 16-10 home loss against the New England Patriots. Some 34.3% of entrants picked the Bengals in the season’s first match, and were therefore booted from the competition.
Other big losing picks included the Baltimore Ravens, who lost at home to the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Atlanta Falcons, whose 22-21 Monday night away win came over the favored Philadelphia Eagles.
The Contest
Circa Sports owner Derek Stevens said before the season that part of the Circa Survivor contest is encouraging people to visit Circa Las Vegas and its large retail sportsbook.
The Circa Sportsbook is the largest in Las Vegas, and includes its own Sports Gambling Hall of Fame.
“Here’s the (point),” Stevens said in a Vegas Sports Information Network broadcast. “The reason we do it is simply because we want people to visit Circa. We want people to visit one of our properties. There’s a pretty good chance if you come here, you’ll buy a Coca Cola, you’ll buy a beer. You might even like the joint and book a hotel room.”
“That’s the whole thing for us, we’re using it to bring people out, to visit our properties and develop new customers.”
Anyone can enter the Circa Survivor by getting a proxy bettor to register their picks for them at the downtown Las Vegas casino. Under Nevada law, sports bettors in the state have to register in-person, even if betting online from within the state.
The Offer
In the spirit of that approach to cross promotion, Circa Sports is now offering any week one or two losers of Circa Survivor up to a three-night midweek stay at the downtown Las Vegas casino hotel absolutely free.
Players were allowed to buy into the Survivor contest up to 10 times. Those who are already out after one buy-in will be offered two nights free, and those who are out who bought two or more will get three free nights offered.
The free stays can be claimed between November 1 and December 26 2024.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
