Inside the seven-figure business of proxy betting in Las Vegas

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.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.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.”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.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 happe...