Risk big, and you could win big — like $6 million big. NFL survivor pool contests have become one of the more popular full-season betting contests offered at some of the most influential books in the business. Just pick a winning team every week, and you could be a Circa or DraftKings Survivor champion.
Comparing 2021 NFL survivor contests
| Contest | Entry fee | Entries allowed | Top prize | In-person registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circa Survivor | $1,000 | 6 | $6 million | Las Vegas |
| DraftKings Survivor | $333 | 3 | $1 million | No |
2021 Circa Survivor Pro Football Contest
- Entry fee: $1,000
- Grand prize: $6 million for first place
- Entries: 6
- Who gets paid: Last contestant(s) standing
- Rake: None
- Who can play: Anyone (must register in person in Las Vegas)
- Deadline to enter: Sept. 11, 2021, at 2 p.m. PT
Circa knows what it’s doing when it comes to NFL contests. The Circa Survivor Pro Football Contest’s top prize is $6 million or possibly $7 million if a participant runs the table and goes 20-0 on the season (Thanksgiving and Christmas week games added to the 18-game schedule). The popular contest comes with a $1,000 entry capped at six entries and is a winner-take-all format.
Our official 2021 commercial for our #CircaSportsMillion & #CircaSurvivor football contests, offering $10 MILLION in guaranteed prizes.
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) August 12, 2021
Register by Sep. 11 to get in on the action! ????
For full contest details, visit https://t.co/1jLU7VFGEt pic.twitter.com/juoxpwGZL9
The Circa Survivor contest is only in its second year of existence. Last year’s inaugural contest had 1,390 entrants, with 35 teams going a perfect 18-0 SU and splitting the $2.39 million pot — just over $68,000 each. There are already nearly 800 entrants into the contest with a month left until Week 1 of the NFL. Registration is open until 2 p.m. PT on Saturday of Week 1.
Signing up for the contest is slightly trickier, however. Participants must register in person at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, the D Las Vegas Casino, the Circa Resort & Casino, the Tuscany Suites & Casino, or The Pass at Water Street Casino in Las Vegas. Contestants can then make weekly picks at a Circa kiosk, the casino, or on the Circa app. Contestants outside Vegas who have already registered can send their picks in through a proxy service.
2021 DraftKings Pro Football Millionaire Survivor
- Entry fee: $333
- Grand prize: $1 million
- Entries allowed: 3
- Who can play: Anyone in a region where DraftKings is licensed
- Deadline to enter: Sept. 12, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET
- Rake: 6%
The DraftKings Pro Football Millionaire Survivor Pool is tagged as the largest online survivor pool of 2021. It runs like any other survivor pool where participants submit a weekly pick to win straight up. If their team loses or ties, they are eliminated from the pool, and you can’t pick the same team twice. This contest runs for 18 weeks and costs $333 to enter with a max of three entries per person. The grand prize is $1 million, and only the top team(s) remaining at the end will be paid out.
2021 is the first year of the DraftKings Pro Football Millionaire Survivor Pool, as last year, they only offered a free survivor pool.
Enter our Free $1 Million Football Survivor Pool to claim your instant reward and get a shot at $1 Million cash. ????????
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) August 18, 2020
To register for this NFL survivor pool contest, participants will have to register online in states where DraftKings is regulated. You don’t have to reside in these regulated states, but your picks must be made from there. Unlike the Circa Survivor contest, no proxies are allowed. There is also a six percent rake taken.
How to enter 2021 NFL survivor contests
Entry into NFL survivor pool contents varies from book to book. Some have an online registration that is easy and convenient, but some of the bigger ones require in-person registration in Nevada.
Making weekly picks requires submitting picks online in regulated areas or using a proxy to submit your picks. The popularity of survivor pools lies in its simplicity: pick a winning team each week to advance, but because you can’t pick the same team more than once, NFL survivor pools require strategy to advance every week.
Most of the books that offer survivor pools also hold NFL betting contests such as the Circa Sports Million III and the 2021 DraftKings Pro Football Millionaire Pick’em.
What is a proxy?
A proxy is designating a person who makes wagers or submits picks on your behalf for a fee. They will usually need to accompany you when you register in person.
Out-of-state or out-of-country NFL survivor pool contest registrants can pay a straight fee to a proxy bettor/company in Nevada to submit their weekly survivor picks. Proxy betting has been around for decades and is very popular in NFL betting contests.
Free NFL survivor pools
Free survivor contests are also available if you find the price tags on the major contests to be a little steep.
Covers Streak Survivor
Start your streak in the most popular free betting contest on Covers — Streak Survivor. Simply put together a streak of against the spread (ATS) or Over/Under bets from a variety of games to choose from — MLB, NFL, College Football, NBA, and more! Continue your winning streak for a chance at the top prize of $100,000.
Yahoo Sports and BetMGM Survivor Football
Yahoo Sports, Verizon, and BetMGM have teamed up to offer their take on NFL survivor contests. The winner gets a paid trip to Las Vegas.
FanDuel Survivor
FanDuel offers a free NFL survivor pool with a $100,000 top prize and is available to anyone registered at FanDuel.
NFL survivor pool contest FAQS
An NFL Survivor pool is picking a weekly winner straight up until you lose and are eliminated. You can only use each team once.
Anyone 21 years or older can enter an NFL survivor pool contest, but certain pools can only be registered in person and in areas that have regulated markets.
There are many free NFL survivor contests online that are available to anyone, but only residents in regulated states can register for the DraftKings Pro Football Millionaire Survivor Pool.
Canadians can enter the Circa Survivor Pool, but they need to register in person, be 21 years of age and use a proxy to submit weekly picks.
