The folks at Circa Sports have a big announcement planned and sports bettors from around the world are on the edges of their seats.
After Circa’s 2024 NFL Survivor Pool contest garnered a record-breaking $14.266 Million prize pool, Circa owner Derek Stevens teased in a promotional video posted to X recently that, “It’s time to make history” with an announcement scheduled for May 22. That day, bettors will learn exactly how much the guaranteed prize pool will be for the largest legal sports survivor contest in the world.
Circa’s NFL Survivor pool has no rake, meaning every dollar spent on entries goes toward the prize pool. Bettors won’t know the exact prize pool until September when registration closes, and an overlay is always possible, but the guarantee sets the bar. According to Circa Sports Director of Operations Jeffrey Benson, the anticipation is growing.
“The buzz is palpable,” Benson said. “This survivor contest is a monster and just continues to grow. The steam and interest it has gained as the prize payout has grown has been incredible. Having the word’s largest legal football survivor contest is something we’ve always dreamt about.”
What is the 2025 Circa Survivor Guarantee?
Bettors find out May 22 what the Circa Survivor guarantee will be, and if recent history is any indication, it will be well over $10 Million and likely more than last year’s $14.266 Million prize pool. The prospects of a guarantee of $15 Million or more, has both professional bettors and recreational bettors paying close attention.
| Year | Guarantee | Final Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10 Million | $14.266 Million |
| 2023 | $8 Million | $9.2 Million |
| 2022 | $6.1 Million | $6.1 Million |
| 2021 | $4.08 Million | $4.08 Million |
| 2020 | $1.39 Million | $1.39 Million |
How does Circa’s Survivor Contest Work?
Circa Survivor is very similar to a traditional NFL survivor pool contest you may have participated in with friends. Bettors pick an NFL team each week, and if the team loses, you’re eliminated. If the team wins, you advance but you’re not allowed to use a team more than once so it becomes necessary to plan ahead and not burn up all the good teams.
Circa Survivor has a unique wrinkle with Thanksgiving games and Christmas games as separate “weeks” so contestants must for that and make 20 successful selections to make it to the end. If everyone is eliminated prior to the NFL season ending, then the last remaining players split the pot.
Each entry costs $1,000 and players can purchase a maximum of 10 entries. On Saturday nights throughout the season, the folks at Circa announce the selection counts for each NFL team so participants start Sunday mornings with a list of teams they’re rooting against and the exact number of entries that will be eliminated with each loss. It creates heart-pounding action and that’s not a figure of speech. As someone who has enjoyed Circa Survivor the last four seasons, I can confirm it’s a lot of fun and my Sundays in the fall will never be the same.
While we have to wait a little longer to find out what the guarantee is, Benson confirmed with us on May 12 that there will be no major changes to the contest rules from last year. That means participants can count on more holiday drama and a format that has produced more storylines than a printing press.
How to sign up for Circa Survivor
Laws require contestants (21+) to make selections each week from Nevada, but a proxy service can act as a “middle man” to legally input a players selections. Proxies usually charge about $100-$200 per entry.
As explained by James Sullivan who operates Survivor Sweat, one of the more prominent proxy companies in Nevada: "The participant s with a proxy and then communicates their picks each week to the proxy. The proxy then submits the official picks on behalf of the participant, essentially acting as their "agent" within Nevada."
Even with a proxy, Circa Sports requires contestants to sign up for the contest in person at its Nevada property so each year gamblers from around the world make the pilgrimage to Nevada before Week 1 of the NFL season kicks off.
If interested in using a proxy service to participate in Circa Survivor from out of state, you’ll make an appointment to meet your proxy at Circa in Las Vegas the day you sign up and your chosen proxy will be noted on your registration form at Circa.
The 2024 Circa Survivor Contest
Last season, eight entries made it to the finish line and split the $14.266 Million prize. Circa guaranteed $10 Million last year, but with 14,266 entries g up, the guarantee was smashed and the historic prize pool was set.
In Week 1 last year, 39% of the pool was eliminated when the Bengals, Bears and Falcons all unexpectedly lost and created carnage. Eventually owners of the following eight aliases made it to the end and split $14.266 Million: C3 Picks, DREAM STAKES, MEATBALL BROTHERS, PUMBAPACK9, TY1823, VODKA JOHNNY, WHATEVERYALLWANT, Whiskey Business.
Sports Betting Immortality
At the end of the season, Circa celebrates the winners with a ceremony where they receive a giant check and the photo op of a lifetime.
“The payouts really are life changing,” Benson said. “Being able to be a part of that through the contests we run is so cool. It is rewarding for all the hard work we and the contestants put into it throughout the year.”
One person who is living proof of the contest being life changing is Mike Buchmiller, who won the contest in 2022 under the entry name JED. Buchmiller split the $6.1 Million prize pool with one other person that year and has since started hosting the Survivor Sweat Podcast.
“Winning the Circa Survivor Contest was an incredibly surreal and unforgettable experience,” Buchmiller said. “While it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, the excitement and energy of the contest make it something you can’t help but want to experience again.”
If you’re interested in Circa Survivor, check back here at OddsShark.com for an update after May 22 to see how much the guarantee ends up being. And, as always, our Free Picks section is a great place to get betting angles during the NFL season.
