Westgate Sports Betting SuperContest Nears Record Entries

Regulated sports betting could be giving an unexpected boost to one of America’s most prestigious NFL pick contests, the Westgate SuperContest. This year’s contest features more players than ever before competing for a top prize that is expected to be slightly over $1.5 million.
According to reports on CalvinAyre and CBS Sports, the 2018 SuperContest will feature more than 2,000 players, at least 300 more than participated last year, and the deadline for entries hasn’t even been reached.
If you’ve never heard of the Westgate SuperContest, that’s probably because you’re not a hardcore NFL handicapper. The long-running contest, hosted by the Westgate SuperBook, is not your friendly neighborhood pick ’em. This contest features a $1,500 buy-in and is not open to players who do not reside in Nevada, unless they hire a proxy to submit their picks (maybe this feature will change now that sports betting is legal in the United States).
Each week of the NFL season, players submit five picks for NFL games and are awarded one point for each win and half a point for every push. At the end of the season, the top 50 players receive a cut of the pot with the top spot earning a little over $1 million.
While the SuperContest has long been the domain of professional handicappers, Westgate SuperBook VP Jay Kornegay says amateurs have an excellent shot at taking home the big prize, “A lot of first-time contestants win the championship. You don’t have to be a highly skilled player. If you put together a good year, you can be a millionaire. It’s life-changing money.”
It’s widely believed that the surge in interest in this year’s contest is the result of the Supreme Court’s decision to allow states to make the decision about whether or not sports betting should be legal in their jurisdictions.