Circa Sports Looks to Outdo Itself with New Survivor Contest
Circa Sports has significantly elevated its NFL handicapping contests for the upcoming season, expanding its prize pool and introducing a new high-stakes event that sets a new benchmark in the industry. The downtown Las Vegas sportsbook has raised the guaranteed prize for its flagship Circa Survivor contest from $10 million in 2024 to a record-breaking $15 million for the upcoming 2025 NFL season.
With a $1,000 entry fee, the contest challenges participants to pick one straight-up NFL winner each week of the regular season, including special holiday slates such as Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas. Each team can only be selected once per entry throughout the season. Last year, the contest drew 14,266 entries, generating a prize pool of $14,266,000. Eight entrants emerged victorious by completing a perfect 20-0 run across the season.
To accommodate growing interest and a segment of bettors seeking exclusive, high-stakes options, Circa has launched a new contest called Circa Grandissimo. With a $100,000 entry fee and a maximum of two entries per contestant, the Grandissimo replicates the Survivor contest's format but with more exclusive participation and higher stakes. The guaranteed prize for the Grandissimo winner is $1.5 million.
The name "Grandissimo" is derived from a never-realized Las Vegas hotel concept envisioned by Jay Sarno, founder of Caesars Palace and Circus Circus. Circa owner Derek Stevens chose the name to evoke the ambition and luxury of the city's most extravagant ventures.
High-roller appeal
Each Grandissimo entry includes a luxury travel package that underscores the contest's high-roller appeal. Entrants will receive a three-night stay in a Founder's Suite at Circa, round-trip JSX flights, limousine transfers, and fine dining experiences. It will give the entrant a top-shelf look at the Nevada sports betting scene.
Circa Sports will not take a rake from either contest, the same as in past years. Every dollar from entry fees will go directly into the respective prize pools. At least 15,000 entries are required to meet the $15 million guarantee for Circa Survivor, while the Grandissimo contest needs just 15 entries to satisfy its $1.5 million prize guarantee.
In addition to the Survivor and Grandissimo contests, Circa will once again run the Circa Million VII. This contest, priced at a $1,000 entry fee, involves picking five games each week against the spread during the 18-week NFL season.
It offers $6 million in guaranteed payouts, with $1 million reserved for the top finisher. Last year, the contest recorded 5,817 entries, just shy of the 6,000 needed to cover the full guarantee.
The Circa Million also features $1.2 million in quarterly prizes and awards and additional incentives for the lowest-performing entries. The last-place finisher receives $100,000, and the second-to-last place earns $50,000. Participants are limited to five entries.
