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- @skillable
This is a pretty big deal. In case you haven’t heard, the Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas, NV, runs an annual NFL picking contest. In 2017, the contest saw:
The 2018 contest is slated to make the following payouts, based on a field of 3,500 entries:
And paying out 0.05% or $2,415 for 81st place through 100th place.
There are sub-contests within the overall contest, paying out the winner of the Mini-contest, as shown above, a first quarter and half-time payout of $15,000 each, for the contestants who have the best records over those terms.
The Superbook designates the games that will be on that week’s slate, and contestants will pick five (5) of those games against the designated point spread.
This contest is open to anyone who wants to enter, and they need not be Nevada residents. Out-of-state contestants can designate a local proxy, who is tasked with submitting their picks, based on contest rules.
We arrived at around 10:00 am Saturday, August 25 and found the line to be short. Registration was easy but could have gone faster if registration forms were available in other places within the sportsbook. Entry into the contest required the contestant and any proxy that would be designated be there at the same time, show identification, join the World of Westgate rewards club, fill out a very brief entry form and pay the entry fee of $1,500. Credit cards were accepted, but with an added 2% processing fee. The contestant and proxy were then presented their rewards cards and the SuperContest card. After registration, the contestants were given t-shirts.
The registration process was easy, but as the morning wore on, the line got noticeably longer. By the time we left, I will estimate the line waiting time was approaching an hour.
Designating a proxy was also easy. There are services in Las Vegas who do this for a fee. I talked to one guy, just to get some information on how it works, who charged $250 for the entire contest. I saw probably a half dozen proxies milling around waiting for contestants to show up. The contest rules clearly state that it will not be the fault of the SuperBook, if something goes wrong with the proxy. My girlfriend, who I designated as my proxy, found another proxy’s contest card in the lady’s restroom. Replacement cards, according to the official rules, can be obtained, for $5.00.
So, we got action! Stay tuned for more, as I will write about the contest and the inevitable strange things that will come up around it as the NFL season commences.
Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Aenean lacinia bibendum nulla sed