MANY THINGS ARE new for the upcoming pro football season, while many remain the same.
- A certain brother quarterback combo is back: one leading the defending champs; the other at a whole new altitude.
- Typically, quite a few teams have a new quarterback and/or coach; one team isn’t even allowed to have their head coach near the field for the entire year.
- Wide receivers, young and old, will make headlines for ridiculous behavior, name changes and “not very well thought-out” tweets … actually, we very much enjoy all of this.
Here’s the NEW AND OLD for our Great Giveaway Las Vegas football contest in 2012-13
- We still have the big-time weekly car/truck/cash winners, crazy end-of-season prizes, including the two houses, and the solid “No Lose” guarantee – all documented on the poster to the right here that gets bigger if you click on it.
We still have the website where you can check your record & winners/ losers each week: (coming soon) www.mygreatgiveaway.com
- You’ll still be seeing lots of shiny new Chevrolet Silverados & Camaros all around Vegas with weekly Great Giveaway winners cruising in them. When you see one, just respect their football picking skills and step aside. (Dealerships listed below).
- Great Giveaway entry fee is still $25 per/buy two get third free.
- We have a facebook page that gets pretty fun the whole season long at www.facebook.com/mygreatgiveaway
- We have a twitter account @SportsConnectLV, which is actually our online Sports Betting service but we do a lot of Great Giveaway stuff on there so please follow.
- $1 Dog, $1 Buds and $1 Bud Lights are back every Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the games.
- The carts are now also loaded with $3 Red Bulls and Sugar Free Red Bulls.
- GG is still the best football contest in Las Vegas.
- I’m going to write “GG” instead of Great Giveaway this year and hope it becomes a hashtag (#GG) that Lady Gaga tweets, but mostly just because I’m lazy.
The real reason, however, we will have this running blog (reverse-order, newest to latest) here all football year is to field any questions during the season about GG (already paying off), our Last Man Standing football contest, betting, parlay cards, Sugar Free Red Bull and who exactly is refereeing the pro games this year.
If you have any questions, please let us know below! Have a great season!
Posted 5:29pm on 10.26.12
After a bye week, Wild Bill is back for Week 8
Posted 10:51am on 10.24.12
Easiest. Week. Ever.
- 841, a record as far as we know, went undefeated at 12-0. Tie-breaker winner gets car/truck/cash option, everyone else get $11.95 (ha) … but, hey, you can say you are a Great Giveaway Weekly Winner!
- 173, also a record as far as we know, went winless with the tie-breaker winner getting $5,000 and 172 others pocketing $29.10 … needless to say, the Monday total tie-breaker never more important than this week (and it fooled most everyone with the game totaling 20).
- For the season/houses, one player at 73-24 has a two-game lead over six others. On the “Most Losers” end, one has a one-game lead over six others at 26-71.
Check your Great Giveaway records here
It’s crunch time for Last Man Standing, the pro contest is down to 26 folks going for $99,650 and in college 18 left bidding for $53,625. Best of luck. Check it here.
Posted 11:36am on 10.20.12
Posted 4:36pm on 10.19.12
Wild Bill brought in three ringers for his Week 7 picks
Posted 10:41am on 10.18.12
Sweet helmet giveaway for Thursday night games at Santa Fe Station.
Posted 3:41pm on 10.16.12
Lot’s of tough calls in Week 6 made for super great paydays for the winners:
- Four players went undefeated with the tie-breaker winner getting the car/truck/cash option and the three others taking home $3,333.35 each. Overall for the house: one player is alone in first at 63-22.
- Three players went winless, tie-breaker winner getting $5,000 and other two $2,500 … all very nice payouts. Congrats! Overall for the house, one player is in first/last at 23-62.
Check your Great Giveaway records here
Our Last Man Standing contests are getting serious. Both the pro and college contests have less than 50 players left. Check it here.
Posted 4:36pm on 10.12.12
Wild Bill looks to rebound from an 0-3 Week with new graphics in his picks video:
Posted 2:36pm on 10.3.12
- First week back with the real refs got us two touchdowns worth of undefeated players with the tie-breaker winner getting the car/truck/cash option and the other 13 getting $555.60 each.
- Just five folks went winless with a $5,000 winner and four $1,250. Pet Peeve Alert: I say this every year, but going for losers is sometimes – oftentimes – more profitable than winners and less competitive.
Check your Great Giveaway record here
- As for our Last Man Standing contest: in the pro football edition 263 are left and in college 110. Not that excited yet. Congrats to those still “standing” but this contest always goes on for at least five more weeks.
Check out the Last Man Standing poster here
One more thing, we hold a Monday football contest every week on our Great Giveaway or Station Casinos facebook page where if you pick the winner and total best you win two free buffets.
Posted 9:51am on 9.28.12
A dog, a big favorite and his first Over/Under of the season are Wild Bill’s Week 4 picks …
Posted 11:56am on 9.26.12
- Thanks to the replacement refs, 5 players went 14-1 with the tie-breaker winner getting the car/truck/cash option and the other four taking home $2,500 apiece. Thank you replacement refs.
- 2 folks, thanks to the replacement refs, went winless at 0-15, each getting $5,000. Very nice payouts for all this week!
- Our Last Man Standing contest is down to the hundreds. Last Man Standing results after Week 3 here.
Check your Great Giveaway record
Posted 5:15pm on 9.20.12
“These Raiders, they’re a train wreck” LOL … here’s Wild Bill for Week 3 …
Posted 2:41pm on 9.19.12
Sweet jersey giveaway Thursday nights at Santa Fe Station.
Posted 9:13am on 9.19.12
From www.mygreatgiveaway.com, but you already knew that.
Week 2 results are in, and one person (we think his name is Zachary because he is on our facebook page claiming to be the lone winner but we have no way to really verify) went undefeated … yes, was going for winners and had Arizona.
Here’s the Week 2 breakdown, and, as always, all the results are at www.mygreatgiveaway.com:
- As mentioned, 1 person (possibly Zach) went 15-0 and gets the car/truck/cash option. As the image above shows 80 people went 14-1. We say 78 of them had New England. Not going to get into season overall records until later in the year but it’s under the “Standings” tab on the web site.
- 62 folks went 1-14 with the tie-breaker winner getting $5,000 and the other 62 taking $80.65 … not the greatest haul but a win’s, a win, za win.
- Last Man Standing pro is down to 1,096 (from 2,591 after Week 1, from 4,850 to start the season). Again, $99,650 on the line in the winner-takes-all contest.
- LMS college is already down to 483 (from 1,278, from 2,611 total). Winner = $53,625. See LMS posters.
Posted 11:25am on 9.13.12
Santa Fe Station Race & Sports Director Wild Bill makes his Week 2 picks. Agree? Disagree?
Posted 11:25am on 9.13.12
Monday football fun at Boulder Station.
Posted 4:38pm on 9.11.12
Week 1 results are in! I went 9-6 on two entries (not even sure how that happens) and 6-9 on the third, which I know how that happened as I reverse one of the others. But like the championship New York Blue team I will not be discouraged by Week 1.
Here’s the winners recap, and of course all the results are at www.mygreatgiveaway.com:
- Just two people went 15-0, nice Washington pick by the way. The tie-breaker winner gets the car/truck/cash option and the other gets $10,000 all to him/herself, which is the best scenario for the runner-up … you don’t get the auto or $20,000 option but there’s no one to split the second-place money with … nice!
- 16 folks went 1-14 with the tie-breaker winner getting $5,000 and the other 15 taking $333.35 … not bad.
- In our Last Man Standing pro competition, the field has been cut almost in half (from 4,850 to 2,591), which, if you have played in past years, is pretty typical. The winner-take-all prize for LMS pro this year almost made six figures = $99,650. Wow, Wow!
- LMS college got more than halved (2,611 to 1,278) … prize money is $53, 625. Also, Wow! View LMS posters.
Posted 11:18am on 9.7.12
Mustard is the only acceptable condiment for a hot dog … but that’s just us.
Posted 4:34pm on 9.6.12
Now we’re getting excited.
Posted 11:35am on 9.6.12
If you never been, it’s an even better place than the Sports Book to watch the games.
Posted 1:33pm on 9.4.12
We’re in!
Posted 10:45am on 8.21.12
We just like the canary yellow Camaro
Posted 11:14am on 8.13.12
Ernie won the house last year for “Most Wins” … here he is in the house!
Posted 10:45am on 8.17.12
Not Great Giveaway but Last Man Standing need-to-knows … and a few comments:
- Got to be in it to win it by Sept. 8 (college) and Sept. 9 (pro) … don’t wait until the last weekend
- It’s $25 for one entry/5 entries for $100 … if your a team player it’s a good contest to split with a friend, you both get two shots and the free 5th can be a consensus pick between both or your cat’s pick or whatever
- It’s winner-takes-all (guaranteed) $25,000 for college and $75,000 pro … for the past few seasons, at least, the prize money has been more than the guaranteed amounts
- Get ready for a long season: the college and pro winners from the past couple seasons have lasted at least through Week 10
Good luck!
Posted 9:09am on 8.10.12
Special thanks to this year’s participating Chevrolet Dealerships. Tell your friends to visit these guys when they need a new truck or car. (Friends of football are friends of ours, right?) Ed Bozarth Chevrolet, Fairway Chevrolet, Findlay Chevrolet and Henderson Chevrolet.
Posted 10:14am on 8.9.12
Deadline = Sunday 10am
Here’s the 16 locations in the greater Las Vegas area to sign up
and the hours at the Sports Books:
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Looks like a great contest !
Okay, really dumb question. If I sign up for this contest at a Station Casino, do I have to keep returning every week to submit my entries? I live in California. Great contest btw! i love how the worst entry wins one of the top prizes!
not dumb, yes, some people actually go for most losses as it’s a little less competitive, anyway, I’m going to rephrase your question to: do you have to make your picks at the kiosk in the casino?, and the answer is “yes.” You can’t make your picks online or anything remote … you can make your picks up to four weeks in advance so it’s not like you have to be here every week … there’s also the option that you miss a week or three and forfeit your “no lose” guarantee where you get your entry fee back at the end of the year for making your picks every week and don’t win any prizes … you also, obviously, can’t win the houses or be in the running for the end-of-season prizes … gonna go for it?
@craigstations. Probably not
. I go to the Palace Station about twice a year and really get treated well in all aspects. Palace Station is awesome!!!
I aggree with Steve very thoughtful kayhopper@yahoo.com
yes look like A great contest, but i don’t thing soooo , Why ? .. Last year i killed my self to get right in the middle. The last 2 week of the season i was right in the middle. i got paid $134.75 shear of $200000.00 . look like it was more than 1400 people won ( over 1400 people right in the middle ) incredible!!!, do you beleve that ???!!!! I don’t.
you “fiddled” but don’t believe others could? or are you saying not that many people could have done it? I think it’s pretty consistent with prior years … FYI: there’s like 30,000 entries in Great Giveaway.
i like bulder.station. for buffet.vegood.food.
I fell for this “no lose” contest last year because of that statement and as a chairman card holder got three free entries,but after playing every game every week and winning nothing. I went to get the free slot machine play that was promished in the ads. Only to be told free entries didn’t get any. I felt I should have been told that when given the entries. Ear
thanks Earl, well, one way to look at it is you didn’t lose anything (“no lose”), but you bring up a good point, some people (certain level cardholders, certain regular players at the Sports Books) get freebies into Great Giveaway, and they ARE NOT “covered” under the no lose guarantee, meaning … well, you explained it pretty good, you don’t get your entry fee back in free slot play at the end of the year … because there really wasn’t any entry fee paid, we understand your point about it not “being told” and we’re sorry for that, you playing this year Earl, get free entries again?
You didn’t pay money for the entries so why in the world would you expect $50? Had you won during the week I am sure you wouldn’t give that money back to them and say “no, I didn’t pay for these, you keep it” If it was that easy, Stations would just give you $50 and no entries. Then they don’t have to risk you winning one of the weekly prizes.
I enjoy spending my time with all the station Casino
thanks Evelyn, gooood luck to you
As I am only in Henderson once a month as I work overseas, will I be able to make my weekly picks on line when I am not at the Green Valley Ranch?
good question, you cannot make your picks online (you can check your results/records at http://www.mygreatgiveaway.com), but you can make your picks four weeks in advance, which is kind of a tough thing to predict but may work for you?
Hey glad to be apart of Great Giveaway this year
glad to have you apart, goooooood luck!
we are exremely upset with the news alainte is not participating in the greatgiveaway or last man standiing contest. i am a black card holder and they compet me last year on the great give away but we enjoy the two contest so much we are going to have to change where we play and thats going to be hard as we truly enjoy all the people at aliante. we live just across rancho from santa fe but the people there are just not as friendly but i spend a lot of money during football season and we do not want to run from casino to casino as my wife is only off on mon/tues and i dont drive im i9n a wheelchair 99% of the time so would like some help from either santafe or texas as to where we should playm this year i have been ion last man standing since the first one at texas and play lots of 1/2 point parlays every week
yes, it’s true, no GG or LMS at Aliante this year, sorry about that Gerry as you sound like a real Sports Book guy, which we love. The good news is you live close to Santa Fe and are near their Sports Book director Wild Bill, who is super friendly guy, check out this video: http://youtu.be/2XCpB4ogXMg
Gerry, I agree with you 100%. It is very disappointing to hear Aliante is not offering these contest this year. And I also agree with the unfriendly and rude people that work at Santa Fe Station. I have not met one friendly person there and when I tried to do the contest at their property last year it was like pulling teeth…. Too many politics between Aliante and Stations…
this is my first time playing this is it $25 a week?
not every week, $25 for one entry ($50 gets you three entries) for entire season … going for the three entries, right?
yes got 3 free ones as i am chairman
NO, $25 to get in the contest…….ONE FEE
I went to get my $50 in free slot play & was told I missed 1 week in putting in my teams…..and therefore I couldn’t get $50 free slot play. That should be posted……..if you miss 1 week, you get NOTHING!! RIP OFF CONTEST!!
sorry you didn’t know about it Rosie, for the record, it’s worded like this in the official rules:
All contestants who purchased their entries (complimentary or bonus entries are not eligible) will receive their entry fee back in the form of Free Slot Play (FSP) at the end of the season if they have competed in all seventeen (17) weeks of the contest on all of their entries and did not win any Weekly or End-of-Contest prize(s) (the “No Lose Guarantee”). For example, if a guest has three (3) total entries into the contest, he must compete in all seventeen (17) weeks of the contest, on all three (3) of his entries and not have won any Weekly or End-of-Contest prize(s) on any of his entries, to receive the entry fee back in the form of Free Slot Play. If the guest only competes in all seventeen weeks (17) of the contest on two (2) out of the three (3) of his entries or if he wins a weekly or a season prize(s), he will not receive any of the entry fee back.
NOT SO LONG AGO, IT USE TO BE THAT YOU COULD COME ANYTIME TO MAKE BETS, AND MAKE THE BETS FOR ALL YEAR. (GG) IT IS A STRAIN ON US WHO FLY INTO VEGAS FROM THE MIDWEST/SOUTH ETC ETC….WHY CAN’T YOU GO BACK TO HOW IT USE TO BE AND NOT MAKE IT SUCH A HARDSHIP ON THOSE WHO FLY IN. FYI FLYING IS NOT CHEAP, AND WHEN YOU CHANGED WHAT YOU DID AND MADE IT ONLY 4 WEEKS AT A TIME, IT MADE MANY FOLKS WE KNOW NOT EVEN BOTHER WITH THIS AND THEY USE TO LOVE IT!!!
Since when were you ever able to put all the picks in at one time?
we’re not sure about all your picks for the entire year either, we asked around and couldn’t find anyone who remembers, sorry CC … to repeat: up to 4 weeks in advance on picks nowadays
Yes, I remember when you could put the picks in for the whole year. Its been awhile….maybe 7-10 yrs. That way, if you only came to vegas once a years, you could still participate.
What forms of payment are excepted?
Thank you
cash, credit or you can use your Boarding Pass points, or you can get Cash Back with your Boarding Pass points and then … ha, ha
how do we know if we are a weekly winner, is it posted
posted every Tuesday, around afternoon-ish, in Sports Book and online at http://www.mygreatgiveaway.com … thanks Bobby
WOW! No Football contest at Aliante this year. How disappointing. I agree with others that the people at Aliante are very nice and as our local casino, will be hard to leave. Not everyone will respond on this blog, but I have heard from many, many others and we are all questioning this management decision. Not only are many going to go to another casino to make the football picks, but find a “new” local casino. Is this the beginning of the end for Aliante?
Ernie, Aliante is turning a profit and is fresh out of bankruptcy. They aren’t going anywhere but there is some politics behind this relationship…. I just found out about this tonight and was very disappointed to say the least. It really is going to push people away from Aliante. I don’t want to turn to the Cannery and dislike Santa Fe and their rude staff….
Great contest, love the Idea of getting your entry back at end of year to bad it has been 3 years in a row lol. I am hoping El Cortez gets better kiosk machines then last year they make u do it manually and were a little slow, it was easier when u could just insert your pick cards, maybe you will bring back those machines as I saw last month the kiosk machine that i dislike was gone, probably for repairs lol thanks seeya
cool, we have news on the ticket-reading kiosks but will wait until official, thanks and good luck this year Robert
Why are you not doing the contest at Aliante this year? Were there not enough people playing, too many people playing? It seems like Aliante Station is on a mission to take fun away from locals. Last year we spent a lot of time at Aliante and this year I have cut way back because of the experiences we had. The tables are no longer fun to play at because of the constant chewing out for holding your drink to close or cheering too loud, thats right, we were told we were cheering too loud at the craps table. One of the rock concerts didn’t allow anyone to stand up or dance because the “fun police” thought it was a fire hazard, even though a dance floor was set up. Locals can no longer get into the pool which makes no sense because we paid to get in and then purchased alcohol from the bar. Also the breakfast place that closed seemed to be doing really well and then one day it was just gone. Now that I can’t place my bet or make my picks at Aliante I don’t know why I would go back. There aren’t any other station casions close enough for me to be motivated to participate in this game.
Aliante will not be managed by Stations by the end of 2012. Another company is going to be taking over the management contract. New card, new points, new everything there.
You’re only half way right there Jay….
I have a really simple question. are the games picked each week with the point spread or straight up?
straight up!
Any word on who took over management of Aliante Casino from Stations?
thanks Ernie, at this time we can say that we have not received an official transition team or date yet, and once a date is identified we will be communicating it to our guests, thanks again
is it toolate to sign up for football?
or can i sign up for future weeks when i come to town?
if so
can i win cars or house if signed up late?
Hi Deborah, you can sign up for Great Giveaway until Sunday, Sept. 9 at 10am (the start of the first Sunday of pro football) … you can sign up after Sept. 9 but you can’t win the end-of-season prizes like the houses or qualify for the “No Lose” guarantee as you didn’t make your picks every week … you can win weekly prizes, gonna go for it?
Hello,
I have a silly question. Is it possible to win, both the most wins and the most losses in any given week? Since most people will have multiple entries, some may play 2 for most wins and do the third entry for most losses. And also what would happen if the same person had the most wins and losses from 2 seperate entries at the end of the season? Would they get 2 houses? I know this is extremely unlikely but I just thought I would ask.
the short answer is “yes” … the same person, with multiple entries, can win any individual week and both houses at the end of the season, in fact, it happens a lot weekly during the season (hasn’t happen with final record) … what we’re talking about is the old “reversey” pick: make your picks then reserve the third ticket, gooood luck!
Are their any Reno properties that I can enter football contest at?
That would be awesome, but no, we don’t have any properties in the Reno area. Are there any good football contests up there?
Hello, just back from the El cortez and another problem. First y do u not have kiosk machines working there, no kiosk at all and u had a year. Oh they r the low man on your casino list. 2. entering brothers picks and sb manager said u r good to go, and he left. Then as another employee searched for my bro,s contest # said we have no record so went to the big boss and the employee over at promotions desk and they searched and found bros card and then asked for pin which I entered and they said no record of paying for contest and I just checked bros receipt at home and its paid. Please we both have been playing since day 1 honestly this is not professional in my book. Station casinos and El cortez need to get their act together and work together as u r both partnered together but that partnership is not there and needs to be looked at. 30 year resident needs a big boss/ suit reply and not the we are trying our best reply Thx
sorry to hear about that experience Robert, did you sign up/pay at El Cortez, maybe take your receipt to another casino, maybe Texas Station?
Where do u think I signed up mars, that is why I said need a person with a clue as you have none.they have no record of my brother playing.We will be going back tomorrow to show receipt and you need to think about posting stupid comments on your blog you have no idea what you are doing.
good luck to you sir
Can I still enter the contest before all of Sunday’s games (9/9) and just live with a loss or no pick for the Dallas/NY game ?
sorry for the late reply, but yes, you could have (the Wed. game didn’t even count for Great Giveaway), did you make it?
If I see on Tuesday’s online posts that I have won that week, how do I collect the winnings and is their a time limit to claim the prize??
ah, optimistic, we like that
… go to the Sports Book to collect if you won, you have until like the end of the year … going to the official rules for this one: “All prizes must be collected in person. To collect winnings, the contestant’s photo I.D. and Boarding Pass Card, or Jackie’s Club Cortez Card, must be presented in person at the property of the contestant’s choice. All prizes must be collected by Friday, March 15, 2013 or be forfeited.” More Rules here: http://www.mygreatgiveaway.com/rules.aspx
Can you change your Monday night picks before the games start? I dont like who I have winning now.
interesting, but no, all weekly picks are “final” Sunday at 10am, took the Raiders
?
what happened to mnf at railhead.At the Kixx 25 minimum per table worked out real great during first game.Our table and 1 other.Guess we will go somewhere else.
sorry about that experience Richard, we didn’t know anything about it so we asked around, got a promotional poster for the party at Kixx and posted it above, thanks