James ‘Jeopardy’ Holzhauer To Sign Up For Westgate SuperContest

• James Holzhauer won $2.4 million in total during his 32-game winning streak on the game show “Jeopardy!”
• The Westgate SuperContest is a pool-based sports betting contest that involves picking the against the spread for NFL games each week of the season.
• The Westgate SuperContest will allow for proxy betting, so long as you register in-person with your proxy.

LAS VEGAS – James “Jeopardy” Holzhauer is expected to enter the Westgate SuperContest this week.

The competition has been branded as the Ultimate Pro Football Handicapping contest and involves picking 5 NFL teams against the spread set by Westgate Sportsbook each week this Fall.

“This is my first time entering any sort of ATS contest,” wrote Holzhauer to the Las Vegas Review Journal. “It feels a little like flipping coins to me. I certainly would bet the under on a final winning percentage of 55.”

James Holzhauer, who gained national attention after winning 32 straight games of ‘Jeapordy’ and earning over $2.4 million on the show, is a Las Vegas native and professional sports bettor.

While his prediction for the contest may sound logical given the fact that anything can happen each NFL Sunday, last year’s first place finisher, Eric Kahane, ended the season with a record of over 70 percent correct picks. Kahane walked away with a total of $1.4 million in prize money.

The 2019 Westgate SuperContest field is already up to 947 contestants with each paying an entry fee of $1,500. These entries can come from individuals from across the country because the Westgate SuperContest takes a rare exception to proxy betting.

This nationwide availability has helped the field to grow substantially in the past few years. In 2016 there were a total of 1,854 entries. In 2017 that number skyrocketed to a total of 2,748 entries and in 2018 that number grew to 3,123.

How Does The Westgate SuperContest Work?

The Westgate SuperContest is a season long event that focuses solely on spread betting for NFL games. Participants will have to pay a $1,500 entry fee to Westgate Sportsbook in person in order to compete.

During the season participants will have to select 5 teams each week to beat the spread for NFL games. These picks will be based on betting lines that the Westgate SuperBook sets. For each correct pick you earn a point, for each tie with the spread you earn half a point, and for each incorrect pick you earn no points.

Whoever finishes with the most points by the end of the season is crowned the winner of the SuperContest. The grand prize is contingent on the number of participants. The more people that join than the greater the earning potential.

Participants do not have to be Nevada residents and are allowed to hire a proxy bettor. However, that participant must register in person with their proxy bettor at the Westgate SuperBook. Those entering the contest will also have to be 21 years old or older, no matter their state’s required gambling age.

How Is Proxy Betting Legal for The Westgate SuperContest?

The fact that proxy betting for the Westgate SuperContest is even a possibility may confuse those in the legal sports betting community. The federal law known as the Wire Act of 1961 prohibits the transmission of sports wagering information over the use of wire communications.

The Wire Act effectively prohibits any type of inter-state proxy betting on any single sports matches.

However, the Westgate SuperContest works a bit differently. This is because rather than simply betting against a line set by the house, the competition is positioned into more of a sports pool model with the house taking in an administrative cut.  

According to the 2018 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest Rules And Regulations:

“Contestants/proxies will be required to swipe their Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest ID card at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook self-service contest window to make their selections. By signing the official entry form, the entrant becomes the “official contestant” and is the only one approved to collect any prize monies. Proxies are not eligible to collect any prize monies. Contestants may share winnings by filling out IRS form 5754 (Statement by Person(s) Receiving Gambling Winnings) once the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest winners become official.”

Out-of-state participants are more so joining a contest than actually placing a bet at the sportsbook each week. This has prompted businesses in Nevada to specialize in proxy services for this event. The events rules can be found here.

Registration for the Westgate SuperContest will end at 11 a.m. September 7, 2019.

News tags: Eric Kahane | James Holzhauer | Jeopardy | Las Vegas | Nevada | NFL | Proxy Betting | Westgate SuperBook | Westgate SuperContest | Wire Act