The Fantasy Football World Championships kicked off at their new home at Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

FFWC starts Circa deal

The Fantasy Football World Championships (FFWC) got started for the first week of the NFL season at their new home of Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

thousands of players from across the US descended on the casino to draft teams

The FFWC has moved from venue to venue for over 20 years, but signed a five-year contract to be hosted at Circa. Thousands of players from across the US descended on the casino to draft teams for multiple leagues, with buy-ins ranging from $350 to $10,000.

The players will compete for the illustrious title of Fantasy Football World Champion, which awards the winner $150,000 as well as a championship belt.

Fantasy football front of house

The FFWC has typically been given a backseat to other events at the casino, but since the move to Circa, the game is no longer taking place on the sidelines.

“Being partnered here at Circa helps elevate that experience and puts us in the middle of the casino,” said Ian Ritchie, owner of Circa FullTime Fantasy Sports. “What that’s done for fantasy and live events is it’s helped it absolutely explode.”

they bend over backward to make our players feel comfortable”

“Our experience at Circa couldn’t be more different than any other property we’ve dealt with doing these contests,” Ritchie said. “They bend over backwards to make our players feel comfortable and treat everybody special to give them a Las Vegas experience.”

Players are given drinks and food while they conduct their drafts, with casino staff putting up picks on a physical draft board.

Multiple celebrities have appeared at the FFWC, including former MLB star Jayson Werth and NASCAR driver Austin Dillon.

Circa breaks records

Players can also reserve their seating at the sportsbook or at Stadium Swim, a six-pool complex with private cabanas, bars, and giant screens showing all of the day’s biggest games.

“The past two weekends, in particular, there have been almost every moment of the day there’s been somebody drafting out at Stadium Swim,” said Aaron Oster, Circa Media Relations and Marketing Manager. “It’s a very popular thing and a lot of people are enjoying it.”

Meanwhile, Circa’s own NFL handicapping competitions, Circa Millions and Survivor, shattered records, attracting a combined $20.6m in entries, exceeding their total $16m guarantee by over 25%.