Circa Sports Announces Record-Breaking $30 Million, No Rake Guarantee for Professional Football Contests

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Press Release

Published on :

20 May, 2026

LAS VEGAS – Circa Sports – a leading authority in sports betting – is once again redefining the professional football contest landscape with another historic, record-setting season. Circa Survivor, Circa Million VIII and Circa Grandissimo will raise the bar yet again with a combined guaranteed prize pool of $30 million – the largest in contest and world history – all with no rake.

Circa Survivor is back and bigger than ever for the 2026-2027 football season with a payout of $20 million guaranteed for the last entry standing, while Circa Million VIII will deliver $6 million guaranteed, with a $1 million first place prize that comes with a coveted Circa Sports blue jacket. The ultra-luxury, $100,000 per entry Circa Grandissimo will return for its second year with a $4 million prize for the last entry standing. Each contest’s pool is no rake, and any additional entries that exceed the guarantee will enhance the pool’s winnings.

“Circa Sports was built on creating contests that are bigger, bolder and more player-friendly than anything else in the industry,” said Derek Stevens, CEO of Circa Sports. “This year’s $30 million guaranteed prize pool reflects the incredible momentum these contests have built over the years. We’re grateful for the passionate community that continues to support Circa Sports, and we’re excited to welcome both returning contestants and first-time players for what will be our most thrilling season yet.”

Last year, five winners of Circa Survivor, who all went 20-0 during the 2025-2026 season, took home the largest prize pot in history of $18,718,000, with each winning entry receiving $3,743,600. $6.9 million was split between Circa Grandissimo winners and $1 million was prized to the Circa Million VII winner.

Sign-ups and entries for both contests can be made once the contests open at any of the following Nevada Circa Sports locations in Las Vegas and Sparks:

Bettors can sign-up for the contests at any of these Circa Sports Nevada locations, and entries for bettors outside of Nevada can register a proxy to submit picks from within the state.

Circa Million VIII, Circa Survivor and Circa Grandissimo sign-ups will run May 22 – September 12.

CONTEST RULES

Circa Survivor

$20 million is guaranteed for the last entry standing for Circa Survivor. Picks consist of up to 20 legs throughout the year, one for every week of the football season plus two special weeks. Each week, participants will choose a team to win straight up, but the player cannot pick the same team twice for the duration of the season. Thanksgiving Eve/Day/Black Friday and Christmas Eve/Day will each be considered their own contest weeks.

Entries are $1,000 each, with a maximum of 10 entries per participant. An entrant can purchase up to 10 additional entries if they lose their original entries on the opening Wednesday night or Thursday game. All entrants will also receive a Circa Survivor hat.

Entries are eliminated from the contest by selecting a team that subsequently loses or ties its game that week. If more than one entry remains after 20 legs, the pool will be split equally amongst all the entries that successfully submitted a selection during the leg. An entrant cannot go into the Saturday sign-up deadline with more than 10 active entries. Each team can only be selected once each entry during the contest.

During the season, picks are due at 4 p.m. PST every Saturday or before kickoff or the selected games. For Thanksgiving Eve/Day and Black Friday, picks are due by 4 p.m. PST on Wednesday of that week. For Christmas Eve/Day, picks are due by 4 p.m. PST on Thursday, December 24.

Circa Million VIII

Circa Million VIII is no rake, and any extra fees go into the quarter- and full-season prize pools. $6 million is guaranteed in total prizes with a $1 million first place prize. $3.65 million will be allocated amongst places two through 100 and $300,000 of prizes per quarter will be awarded every four to five weeks. The last place booby prize winner will receive $100,000 and second to last place booby prize winner will receive $50,000.

Each player will make five professional football picks against the spread each week via the Circa Sports Nevada mobile app. One point will be awarded for each correct selection and one-half point for each push. Each entry for Circa Million VIII is $1,000, with a new-this-year maximum entry of 10 per person. All entrants will receive a Circa Million VIII hat.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 100 places for the season, the top five places within each quarter of the season, the last place and second last place full season score and the last place score within each quarter of the season.

Contest point spreads will be posted every Thursday around 10 a.m. PST, with selections due by 4 p.m. Saturday. During Thanksgiving week, point spreads will be posted at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Circa Grandissimo

Circa Grandissimo will feature a $4 million guaranteed payout, plus more if entries exceed this amount. Circa Grandissimo is no rake and the last remaining entry wins the entire prize pool. Entries are $100,000 each, with a maximum of two entries per participant. An entrant can purchase up to two additional entries if they lose their original entries on the opening Wednesday night or Thursday game.

Circa Grandissimo will consist of up to 20 legs throughout the year, one for every week of the football season plus two special weeks. Each week, participants will choose a team to win straight up, but the player cannot pick the same team twice for the duration of the season. Thanksgiving Eve/Day/Black Friday and Christmas Eve/Day will each be considered their own contest weeks.

Entries are eliminated from the contest by selecting a team that subsequently loses or ties its game that week. If more than one entry remains after 20 legs, the pool will be split equally amongst all the entries that successfully submitted a selection during the leg. An entrant cannot go into the Saturday sign-up deadline with more than two active entries. Each team can only be selected once each entry during the contest.

All contests will run through January 10, 2027.

For more information, visit circasports.com.

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About Circa Sports

Helmed by casino owner and downtown Las Vegas developer Derek Stevens, Circa Sports is blazing a trail in sports betting by combining a customer-first approach to business with a team of the country's top oddsmakers. Based in Las Vegas, Circa Sports boasts one of the most competitive wagering menus in the country and is a leader in the industry for sports futures. The venture currently offers physical betting locations in the world’s largest sportsbook at Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, along with four additional southern Nevada locations; a book in Legends Bay Casino in Sparks, Nev; a brick-and-mortar book in American Place in Waukegan, Ill; and Kentucky’s largest sportsbook at The Mint Gaming Hall Kentucky Downs in Franklin. Its mobile offerings are currently available in Nevada, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Colorado, and Missouri. For more information, visit CircaSports.com.