Inside the seven-figure business of proxy betting in Las Vegas
By Erich Richter
The sportsbook in the Circa Resort & Hotel ahead of Super Bowl 2024.
DeFodi Images via Getty Images
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So, you want to be a pro sports bettor.
The place to be, then, is Las Vegas.
NFL season contests such as Circa Survivor, Circa Millions and Westgate Super Contest offer massive paydays — upwards of $6 million — at buy-in rates of $1,000, as the world’s top professional bettors compete for bragging rights on top of big money.
“This is the crown achievement as a bettor to show you are the best,” Matty Simo, a founder at Football Contest Proxy, told The Post.
Big money is on the line at these Vegas contests.
Beneath all of the glitz and glamour of the contests, which include dreams of winning big and competing with some of the sharpest bettors, are the runners who make their picks at the counter of a Vegas betting operation.
At Circa Sportsbook, picks need to be made at the counter, meaning the bettor needs to be in town.
Even with the advent of smartphones and the growth of mobile sports betting, what seems like an easy task isn’t readily available, paving the way for a whole different option.
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Proxy businesses have popped up throughout Sin City, allowing bettors to pay a fee — usually between $200 and $300 per season — to go to Circa, Westgate or other sportsbooks to make Survivor or against the spread picks each week.
The odd ecosystem is worth in the seven-figure range each season.
“Twenty years ago, we only had 12 clients,” co-founder Toni Law said. “Now, we have 3,000 and growing each year.”
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Participants need to be in Las Vegas to sign paperwork at the sportsbook for their desired tournament and then give permission to the proxy service to make picks on their behalf.
The Circa Survivor contest had 13,000 entries last year, a total only expected to rise in 2025.
It’s not always easy, however, with non-football life happenings getting in the way at times.
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During the COVID-affected 2020 season, bettors missed entries or didn’t get what they were expecting as the virus wreaked havoc on NFL players and bettors, with spreads sometimes moving as much as six points in either direction.
“Wonky things happen sometimes,” Simo said. “There are thousands of emails, tickets go in, picks are made, and it’s a grueling schedule.”
The fee for making picks varies by day of submission, with Saturday being the most expensive day for proxy picks, but also giving the player the most time to make a decision.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
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Jalen Hurts and the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
AFP via Getty Images
The schedule is through holidays, and oftentimes on Thanksgiving the casino treats the large set of Thursday and Friday games as it’s own week, making it an even busier time for the proxy services.
The 2025-26 football season should be a landmark one for the contest goers, as Circa announced a new contest for extreme sharps, with a $100,000 buy-in that guarantees a minimum $1.5 million prize pool.
The Post’s Doug Kezirian placed 14th in the 2023 Circa Million, among other strong finishes in the vast sports betting tournaments.
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