DraftKings Sportsbook Is The King Of NFL Contests
Now that week 1 of the 2021-22 NFL season has finally arrived, plenty of NJ gambling websites are ready to take your action. But if you want a fun and not necessarily expensive way to take your play to the next level, one of the first places you should look at is DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nothing beats the thrill and excitement of competing in a pro football pick’em contest or survivor pool, and DraftKings is the undisputed king of both.
We’ll tell you about some of these contests and what you can win in this article. But for even more opportunities and the complete details, visit the DraftKings Sportsbook website.
Then pick your contest, make your selections, watch the games, and maybe, at the end of the season, you can walk away with a life-changing bundle of money. DraftKings Sportsbook offers contests for players of all budgets. So, they provide a great opportunity for virtually anyone who loves NFL football to get involved and possibly win big cash prizes.
DraftKings Sportsbook $4M Pro Football Millionaire Pick’em Contest
This contest is in a class by itself. It comes with a guaranteed prize pool of a whopping $4 million dollars, including a guarantee of at least $1 million for first place. But that still leaves plenty of prize money remaining to be divvied up among the other top 134 finishers.
Here’s the catch though. The entry fee is a hefty $1,500 (or $4,500 for those who would like to purchase the maximum of three entries). So clearly this contest is not for everyone.
In order to participate in this contest or any of DraftKings Sportsbook’s other NFL contests, you must be a DraftKings Sportsbook account holder. If you wish to enter the Pro Football Millionaire Contest, you have until 1 p.m. Sun., Sept. 12 to do so.
How the contest works
Your task is to make up to five point spread picks each Sunday for 16 of the first 17 weeks of the regular NFL season, for a total of up to 80 selections. No contestant can submit selections for week 18, and in addition, you may skip any week of your choice during weeks 1-17. Also, while you won’t be disqualified if you select fewer than five games in a given week or fewer than 80 games for the season, it is not a good idea. Every correct selection is worth one point, while point spread ties and losses are worth 0 points but no points get deducted. So, to maximize your chances of winning a prize, be sure to make the maximum number of selections permitted.
For the purposes of the contest, DraftKings will post the applicable point spreads for each week’s games on or about the Wednesday of that week. The point spreads will remain fixed for all contestants regardless of when they make their selections or if they differ at any point in time from the actual betting lines.
All selections for any given Sunday must be made through the DraftKings website or mobile app prior to the kickoff time for that day’s first NFL games.
If any game in which you make a pick gets postponed or canceled, the selection counts as a loss. Also, if the NFL regular season winds up being canceled prior to the conclusion of week 12, the entire Millionaire Pick’em Contest will be canceled and all entry fees refunded. If the NFL regular season gets canceled after week 12, all of the prizes will still be awarded.
Why the DraftKings Sportsbook Pro Football Millionaire Contest is a good bet
If you can afford the steep entry fee, this contest offers great money-making potential. As mentioned, there’s a guaranteed minimum top prize of a cool million dollars, along with lots of other great prizes. For example, the contestant finishing in second place will win at least $500,000, and the contestant finishing in third place will win at least $400,000.
In fact, all of the prizes for the top nine players amount to six figures, and all of the prizes for 10th through 30th place are for five figures. Even the smallest prize (for 121st through 135th place) is a very generous $2,500, which amounts to a $1,000 profit.
All of the prizes will be paid in cash, so there is no bonus to clear.
But wait–that’s not all. Any contestant who makes five correct point spread picks in a single week will receive a free $100 bet.
$1 Million DraftKings Sportsbook Pro Football Survivor Pool
The Pro Football Millionaire Contest isn’t the only one that DraftKings Sportsbook is offering this season with a chance to win a million dollars. The same guaranteed prize is up for grabs in the $1 Million DraftKings Sportsbook Pro Football Survivor Pool.
This contest isn’t cheap either. But some people who are unwilling to fork over $1,500 for the contest with a $4M prize pool might not mind paying this contest’s entry fee of $333. Or those who are so inclined can enter both contests and/or purchase up to three entries in the Survivor Pool.
Other than the lower price tag, I will now describe some other key differences between the two contests that anyone contemplating entering the Survivor Pool needs to consider.
- First and foremost, it is a winner takes all contest. In other words, instead of having 135 winners, there is only one–the last contestant standing.
- Instead of making five picks against the point spread on a given Sunday, you pick just one team to win the game outright. If your team wins the game, you survive to make another pick the following week. However, if your team loses or ties, you’re out of the contest and out of the money you paid to be in the contest.
- You cannot pick the same team to win more than once.
Additional terms and conditions
All of the following terms and conditions that apply to the DraftKings Pro Football Millionaire Pick’em Contest also apply here.
- You must make your weekly selections through the DraftKings website or mobile app.
- All selections must be submitted before the start of the first Sunday NFL games.
- Tied, postponed, and canceled games all count as a loss.
- If the NFL regular season gets canceled prior to the conclusion of week 12, the Survivor Pool will be declared null and void and all entry fees will be refunded.
Determining the winner
The contest will end as soon as either only one contestant remains, no contestant remains, or the regular season is over, whichever occurs first. It is possible, but not likely, that after a given week, no contestants will remain. If that happens, the prize money will be equally distributed among the entire final group of players. Likewise, if the contest should end with more than one surviving player, all remaining players will get an equal share of the prize money.
Other NFL contests being offered at DraftKings Sportsbooks
If the entry fees for the $4M Guaranteed Contest and $1M Guaranteed Survivor Pool are too rich for your blood, you have other alternatives. For example, here are three you might consider with only a $20 entry fee.
- $100K NFL Survivor Pool
- $20K NFL Season Long Pick’em
- $5K NFL Sunday Afternoon Pool
DraftKings also offers several single-week contests and survivor pools that are completely free.
See the DraftKings website for details.
Special offers for new players
Lastly, keep in mind that all of the DraftKings NFL contests and survivor pools are open to registered DraftKings Sportsbook customers only. So, if you’re not yet signed up, what are you waiting for?
All first-time depositors will receive a 20 percent deposit match bonus up to $1,000 in the form of site credits.
In addition, through 9/13/21 only, after you make your first deposit and place a bet of at least $1 on any NFL or college football game, you will receive an extra $200 bonus in the form of eight free bets of $25 each.
Everyone’s A Winner In The 2021 $600K Golden Nugget September Race!
Now that September is here, many of you will be racing over to the NJ online and retail sportsbooks to place your first football bets of the season. And, of course, the sportsbooks are ready for you with special promotions galore. But if you’re also a registered Golden Nugget Online Casino player, be sure to leave time for another thrilling betting activity you won’t want to miss–the Golden Nugget September Race!
Here’s what makes the Golden Nugget September Race extra special. For only the third time this year (the other two times were in March and June), Everyone’s a Winner!
Who can participate in the Golden Nugget September Race?
Anyone who is a registered NJ Golden Nugget Online Casino player can join this race or any of the other monthly races. Ideally, you have been actively participating every day or nearly every day in all of this year’s monthly races. Then you could be in a very good position to rank high enough on the yearlong leaderboard to win a fantastic year-end prize.
But even if that is not the case, the Golden Nugget September Race offers a whole new opportunity featuring a whole new set of prizes.
In fact, if you’re brand new to the Golden Nugget monthly races, you could not have picked a better month to test the waters. During most months, while you are not required to opt-in and get out of the starting gate on day 1, those who don’t will find themselves at a big disadvantage. All month long, you could find yourself trying to play catch-up but not making enough headway to be in the running for a single prize.
But this month, no one comes away from the race empty-handed. Everyone’s a Winner!
The biggest prizes will be reserved for the month’s top players, which is only fair. But thanks to a secondary prize pool, even the smallest players will receive a reward, just for participating.
How to get started
If you haven’t already opted into the Golden Nugget September race, no worries. Simply do the following ASAP.
- Log into your GoldenNuggetCasino.com account.
- Click on Available Bonuses and opt into the $600K September 2021 Everyone’s A Winner promotion.
- Make a single deposit of $20 or more.
- Start playing!
Every day counts
Like every other Golden Nugget monthly race, the September race started on the first of the month and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the month. While being active every day isn’t technically required, anyone with their sights set on winning big money can’t afford to slack off. Every day counts!
Meanwhile, the extra nice thing about this month’s race is that as long as you make a token deposit and register a minimum amount of play, the secondary prize (which is the same for every player) is guaranteed. Simply make an initial deposit of $20 and then earn just 50 leaderboard points during the course of the entire month. That should be easy enough for anyone, even the smallest players, to manage comfortably.
But for all of you who would like to try to win more, you will need to do a lot more.
How to rack up enough leaderboard points to win in all three prize giveaways in the Golden Nugget September Race
Besides the secondary prize which all participants in the September Race get, Golden Nugget will be giving away many more prizes to September racers, both in the Mid-Month Fuel Up and at the end of the month. In other words, while everyone is guaranteed to receive at least one prize, you also have the opportunity to win three prizes. For that to happen, though, the name of the game is to keep racking up as many leaderboard points as you can as fast as you can. The following table shows how to do it.
|
Player Activity |
Leaderboard Points Awarded |
|
Wager $100 on slot games |
5 |
|
Wager $100 on video poker, blackjack, roulette, or other table games |
1 |
|
Each day you deposit $50-$99 |
20 |
|
Each day you deposit $100 or more |
40 |
As the table shows, the fastest way to earn leaderboard points is with deposits of $100 or more, and the second fastest way is with deposits of $50 or more. All of your casino play also counts, but slots earn points 5x as fast as table games.
Mid-Month Fuel Up: 50 Free Spins for the top 2,000 players
Playing all month long but having to wait until the end of the month to collect your prize, whether it’s just the secondary prize or one of the bigger prizes, too, can be frustrating indeed. So, Golden Nugget has come up with a way to put a big smile on many players’ faces long before then. It’s the Mid-Month Fuel Up!
On a designated day in the middle of every month, the top 2,000 players on the leaderboard at that time will each be awarded 50 free spins! The Mid-Month Fuel Up day for the Golden Nugget September Race is Sept. 15.
Qualifying players need to claim their prize from Available Bonuses. The 50 free spins must be taken on eligible games and must be completed within seven days.
Any winnings from the free spins will then be credited to the player’s account in the form of bonus money. You have up to seven days to clear the bonus. The wagering requirements are as follows:
- Slots: 1x bonus
- Video Poker, Roulette, Blackjack, or other table games: 4x bonus
$600K guaranteed end-of-the-month prize pool for the top 150 players
Being awarded 50 free spins in the middle of the month will give these 2,000 lucky players plenty of incentive to continue playing at a high level in the second half of September. Now they have a chance to try to lock up an even bigger end-of-the-month prize for the top 150 players along with the guaranteed secondary prize.
The prize pool opened at $500,000. But by the end of the month, it is guaranteed to reach at least $600,000 and could be as much as $650,000. For every day in September when no player wins $25,000 or more, the casino will add another $1,000 to the prize pool.
Therefore, the exact amounts of each prize won’t be known until the end of the month, but the following table shows the minimum guaranteed amounts. All prizes are in the form of bonus money credited to the player’s account.
Distribution of Prizes for the Top 150 Players
|
Leaderboard Rank |
Minimum Prize |
|
1 |
$50,000 |
| 2 |
$40,000 |
|
3 |
$30,000 |
| 4 |
$25,000 |
|
5 |
$20,000 |
| 6 |
$17,500 |
|
7 |
$15,000 |
| 8 |
$12,500 |
|
9 |
$10,000 |
| 10 |
$9,000 |
|
11 |
$8,000 |
| 12 |
$7,000 |
|
13 |
$6,000 |
| 14-18 |
$5,000 |
|
19-25 |
$4,000 |
| 26-35 |
$2,500 |
|
36-50 |
$2,000 |
|
51-65 |
$1,500 |
| 66-80 |
1,000 |
|
81-100 |
$750 |
| 101-150 |
$500 |
None of these prize amounts are shabby. The player who finishes the month in first place is guaranteed to receive at least a $50,000 bonus, while even the player in 150th place is guaranteed to receive at least a $500 bonus.
Guaranteed secondary prizes
After all of the foregoing prizes are distributed, whatever amount of the prize pool that is still remaining will be equally divided among all eligible participants.
Like the main prize, the secondary prize will be in the form of bonus money. Therefore, everyone who participates in the September race can look forward to receiving at least one end-of-the-month bonus. However, the top 150 players will each receive two bonuses.
Wagering requirements to clear the end-of-the-month bonus money prizes
All of the end-of-the-month main and secondary prizes being awarded in the Golden Nugget September race will be determined and awarded by 5 p.m. on Tues., Oct. 5, 2021.
However, before you will be permitted to withdraw either the bonus money itself or any additional winnings therefrom, the same wagering requirements mentioned previously for clearing bonus money won in the free spins also apply to these bonuses.
We recommend clearing all bonuses with slots, which will keep the wagering requirement at just 1x the bonus. However, to maximize your chances of winning, you should stick to slots with a return to player (RTP) of 96 percent or better.
Unfortunately, sports bets no longer count towards meeting the wagering requirements.
Keep in mind that you have up to seven days from the day of receipt to clear your bonus(es).
Golden Nugget $5 Million Dollar Race
Last but certainly not least, all of your activity in the Golden Nugget September Race, just like that of all of the other monthly races, counts toward your grand total of leaderboard points in the $5 Million Dollar yearlong race.
However, September is a key month. For only the second time so far this year, all of your monthly points will be doubled on the yearlong leaderboard.
Even so, it will take a tremendous amount of money both in deposits and play to finish among the leaderboard’s top 200 players. If you do, a spectacular prize will have your name written on it.
Just to give you an idea, players who finish the year in 151st to 200th place will each receive 12 monthly bonuses of $100. That’s a total of $1,200 in bonus money.
But as impressive as those prizes are, they are small potatoes compared to what the top three players of the year will get.
The player who finishes the year in third place will receive a choice of a pair of luxury watches valued at $55,000 or $48K in free bonus play.
The player who finishes the year in second place can choose between a coast-to-coast vacation valued at $75,000 or $60K in free bonus play.
However, there can only be one player at the top of the heap, and that lucky person gets to choose between a Bentley valued at $200,000 and $120K in free bonus play.
Players who choose the bonus will receive it piecemeal in 12 equal monthly installments.
The bottom line: Why the Golden Nugget September Race is worth your time
During most months, when the Everyone’s a Winner feature is not included, I caution players that participating in the Golden Nugget races with any realistic chance of winning a prize will require a huge investment of time of money. Therefore, unless you are in a position to make that type of commitment, you should probably not even try. Focus instead on other promotions that are more budget-friendly.
But the Golden Nugget September Race is different because Everyone’s a Winner. I can’t tell you what the secondary prize will be except that you should expect it to be small. But it’s yours for the taking even if you are a very small player and rarely qualify for bonuses otherwise. As for those of you who play enough to potentially qualify for the very big prizes that this NJ gambling website also gives out, go ahead and be greedy. Play for all three September prizes.