Pore over the stat sheets, peer into the crystal ball, and listen to your gut: It’s time to make football predictions.
Casinos throughout Pennsylvania are offering prizes in weekly and season-long contests for predicting the winners of National Football League games. The first regular-season game pits Green Bay against Chicago on Sept. 5, and the first full day of play is Sept. 8, including the Eagles at home vs. the Redskins and the Steelers at their nemesis Patriots.
In addition to a plethora of prediction contests, Hollywood Casino near Harrisburg offers a drawing that awards a trip to the Super Bowl in Miami, while SugarHouse in Philadelphia plans to give away more than 50 big-screen TVs to watch the games.
Elsewhere, the Heartland Poker Tour stops this month at Meadows, near Pittsburgh. On the other side of the state, Parx offers a $50,000 cash prize in a Monopoly-style game, while Valley Forge and Wind Creek give away luxury vehicles.
Here’s a look at some of the best casino promotions and attractions for September:
Harrah’s Philadelphia
777 Harrah’s Blvd.
Chester, PA 19013
(800) 480-8020
Football money booth
Players have the opportunity to line their pockets with cash at the football-themed money booth every Friday in September at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Caesars Rewards members get one free drawing entry for each day played during the promotional period and receive one additional entry for every 25 tier credits earned for slot or table game play.
From 6 to 10 p.m. each Friday, one person will be chosen every hour to enter the money booth and collect as much cash as possible into an apron. Then they choose between keeping what they grabbed or taking a ticket that could be worth up to $2,500.
2X table multiplier
Every Sunday and Monday in September, Caesars Rewards members will double reward credits for all qualifying table game play. To participate, swipe your card at a promotional kiosk between 6 a.m. and 5:559 a.m. the next day.
The multiplier is based on play during a single gaming day, and bonus credits do not count toward tier score or Return Rewards. Players may claim only one reward per promotional day.
Hollywood at Penn National
777 Hollywood Blvd.
Grantville, PA 17028
(717) 469-2211
Choose the Champs giveaway
Weekly prizes of $1,000 cash and up to $1,000 in slot free play are available in Hollywood’s NFL prediction contest starting Sept. 3.
An entrant who correctly predicts the result of all of a week’s games wins $1,000 cash (maximum of three such winners). The top 20 predictors for the week win slot free play.
The first player to notch 178 correct predictions for the season will receive $50,000 cash.
Entrants make their weekly picks between 6 a.m. Tuesday and noon Sunday at a marketing kiosk.
Prizes can be claimed between 4 p.m. Tuesday and 11:59 p.m. Friday at a marketing kiosk.
Big Game table games sweepstakes
A trip to the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami is the top prize in a drawing on Sept. 29.
Drawings run from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a $500 cash winner named every 15 minutes in the preliminary rounds.
Hollywod’s mychoice members earn entries through Sept. 28 by winning select hands at any table game.
Lady Luck Nemacolin
4067 National Pike
Farmington, PA, 15437
(724) 329-7500
Choose the Champs
Football seers can win up to $150 in slot free play each week this month.
Starting Sept. 3, Players Club members who earn 150 tier points between 7 a.m. Monday and 8 p.m. Thursday get a free entry into a contest predicting the winners of that week’s NFL games. The tiebreaker is a prediction of the total points scored in a Monday night game.
The 25 entrants with the best record for week win varying amounts of free play at Lady Luck Nemacolin.
10X points
Players Club members get 10X points for play from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 6, 20, and 27.
Participants must swipe their cards at a promotional kiosk. The maximum award is 25,000 points.
Meadows
210 Racetrack Road
Washington, PA 15301
724-503-1200
Heartland Poker Tour
The Heartland Poker Tour returns to The Meadows on Sept. 26 for the start of a 12-day series of tournaments, including a $100,000 guaranteed belt event and a $250,000 guaranteed Main Event.
Registration for those two events starts at 10 a.m. Sept. 26.
The belt event, which has a $350 buy-in, opens the tournament schedule. Satellites offering seats in it are set for Sept. 26, 27, and 28.
The Main Event, with an $1,100 buy-in, has opening rounds on Oct. 5 and 6. Satellites offering seats in it start Sept. 30.
Play at the Main Event’s final table will start at noon Oct. 7; spectators are welcome.
Also on the agenda:
- Seniors tournament (50-plus), $200 buy-in, Sept. 29
- PLO, $200 buy-in, Oct. 1
- A new event, the one-day No Limit Hold ’Em Deep Stack, $200 buy-in, Sept. 29
- Short-deck No Limit Hold ’Em, $200 buy-in, Oct. 3
Mohegan Sun Pocono
1280 Highway 315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(888) 946-4672
$1 Million Bonus Hand Blackjack
Mohegan Sun Pocono table game players can earn entries for drawings that offer prizes of at least $500 in cash plus a chance to play a hand of blackjack that could yield a $1 million payout. Entries are based on table game play on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sept. 28, with 25X entries on Fridays and 10X entries on Saturdays and Sundays. Poker play does not earn entries.
A drawing at 8 p.m. will select 12 entrants, each getting at least $500 cash and a chance to spin a wheel to advance to a second round. The six who advance to the second round spin the wheel again, with three qualifying for the blackjack finale and the other three getting $1,000 cash. The process repeats at 9 p.m.
Each of the six finalists is guaranteed at least $2,000 cash. At 10 p.m., the six play one hand of blackjack. If one is dealt a natural consisting of ace of spades and jack of spades, the player gets $1 million.
Players must activate their entries in the hour before each drawing.
Sideline psychic
Football prognosticators get free play whether their pick wins or loses in the NFL’s Thursday night game.
Starting Sept. 12, Momentum Club members who earn one status point between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursdays get a chance to pick the winner of that night’s matchup. Players make their choice at any casino kiosk. Players are allowed only one entry per week.
Entrants are guaranteed $10 in slot free play just for playing; those who pick the winning team get $25 in free play. The free play is valid through the following Sunday.
The season’s first Thursday night game is the Green Bay Packers at the Chicago Bears on Sept. 5.
Triple status points
Momentum Club members get 3X status points for slot or table game play from 6 a.m. Sept. 29 through 3 a.m. Sept. 30.
Mount Airy Casino Resort
312 Woodland Rd.
Mount Pocono, PA 18344
(877) 682-4791
Free buffet Mondays
Player’s Club members who earn 250 points or receive an invitation get a voucher for a free buffet at Mount Airy on Sept. 9, 16, 23, and 30. The voucher must be printed at a promotional kiosk by 8 p.m.
The standard price for a lunch buffet is $16.99, while dinner, is $19.99.
Parx
2999 Street Road
Bensalem, PA 19020
(888) 588-7279
Moon Festival lucky envelope giveaway
Parx celebrates the full harvest moon with a series of drawings that offer up to $2,800 in table game match play.
On Sept. 13, the day of this year’s Moon Festival in eastern Asia, anyone with an active table game rating in the Asian games pit will be eligible for prizes every half-hour from 8 p.m. to midnight. Each drawing will award two envelopes containing varying amounts of free play.
In East Asia, the Moon, or Mid-Autumn, Festival is a 3,000-year-old tradition of giving thanks and bringing families together.
Parxtown board game
One person is guaranteed to win $50,000 cash in a three-week contest in a Parxtown board game.
XClub members earn entries based on play from 6 a.m. Sept. 1 through 11:59 p.m. Sept. 20. Slot players get one entry for every $20 played on traditional machines, or one entry for every $60 played on video poker. Carded table-game play also qualifies XClub members for entries.
Players get one game card for each 40 entries earned in a day, with a maximum of three cards per day; on Sept. 20, the maximum is six.
Prizes include:
- $50,000 cash to the first person to complete the Parxtown board by collecting all 20 game cards
- $5,000 in slot free play to anyone else who completes the board
- Free slot play for collecting colored sets of game pieces
- Instant Win game pieces awarding free play
- $15 in free play for three identical game cards
If no one finishes the board before the contest ends, the five players with the most game pieces on their boards will participate in a Sept. 23 “draw-off” for their winning game cards. In case of a tie for the five spots, participants will be determined by the total number of game cards redeemed.
Trading of game cards is prohibited. A Parx representative must open every game card for it to be valid, and the casino will keep a record of each card awarded.
Presque Isle Downs
8199 Perry Highway
Erie, PA 16509
(866) 374-3386
Pick ’Em Pro Challenge
Players can win cash and slot free play every week in a football prediction contest starting Sept.3.
Players Club members who earn 100 points between 10 a.m. Tuesday and 1 p.m. Sunday are eligible for a free entry in that week’s contest. Entrants must make their NFL game picks and tie-breaker score at a promotional kiosk in the casino. Prizes are:
- Most correct picks: $500 cash
- Second place and third place: $250 and $100 cash, respectively
- Fourth through 119th place: Slot free play, ranging from $50 to $5
- Last place: $100 cash
- Entry most closely matching predictions by Presque Isle General Manager Kevin O’Sullivan, including tie-breaker score: $125 cash
Table games hot seat
From 8 to 10 p.m. Sept. 28, $1,000 will be awarded every 30 minutes to a table game player chosen at random. Each carded player also at the table will win $50 in match play.
Rivers
777 Casino Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
(877) 558-0777
Perfect Pick weekly challenge
A perfect prediction of a week’s NFL games wins a progressive jackpot that starts at $7,000 cash and grows by $7,000 each week it isn’t won. The contest opens Sept. 3 and runs through the NFL regular season.
The weekly contest is open to Rush Rewards members who meet one of these requirements:
- Earn 1,000 base slot points between 6 a.m. Tuesday and 11:59 p.m. Saturday
- Earn 750 base table game points (excluding poker) between 6 a.m. Tuesday and 11:59 p.m. Saturday
- Make a single bet wager of $250 or more against the spread at the Sportsbook window from Tuesday through 11:59 p.m. Saturday. Sportsbook promotional kiosk bets and online bets do not count
Wild & Crazy cash drawing
A top prize of $10,000 cash and other awards are available in drawings at 2:15 and 7:15 p.m. Sept. 26. Six entrants will be picked at each drawing, getting the chance to win various amounts of cash up to $10,000. One wild card winner will be selected for the chance to win $1,000 in slot free play.
Players club members who earn 25 points for play from Sept. 1 through Sept. 26 get additional entries.
Jay Leno
The famed comedian, host of NBC’s “Tonight Show” for 17 years, and current host of “Jay Leno’s Garage” brings his observations to The Event Center at Rivers Casino at 8 p.m. Sept. 19. Tickets are $49 to $79. Audience members must be at least 21.
SugarHouse
1001 N. Delaware Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(877) 477-3715
Choose the Champs Challenge
All Rush Rewards members are guaranteed one free entry per week in a football prediction contest offering a top prize of $1,000 cash.
Starting Sept. 3, entrants predict the outcome of Sunday NFL games. Thursday and Saturday contests are not included.
Players can get an additional entry by earning 50 points between 6 a.m. Tuesday and 11:30 a.m. Sunday, with a maximum of two additional entries per person per week.
On Jan. 2, the five players with the most correct picks throughout the season will win a share of $10,000 in cash and free play.
Rushing for riches
More than 50 televisions are up for grabs in Saturday night drawings throughout September at SugarHouse. From 7 to 10:30 p.m. each Saturday, three Rush Rewards members will be chosen at random every 30 minutes to win a 55-inch LED high-definition television or slot free play.
Players earn entries throughout the month, with 2X entries on Wednesdays.
Valley Forge Resort Casino
1160 First Ave.
King of Prussia, PA 19406
(610) 354-8118
$100,000 Gridiron challenge
Someone could win $100,000 cash in a football pick-’em that starts this month thanks to Valley Forge Casino.
Valley Club members get one free entry each week of the NFL season. To play, swipe your Valley Club card at the Gridiron Challenge kiosk and make your predictions between 6 a.m. Tuesday and 30 minutes before games begin on Sunday.
The entrant with the most correct weekly picks wins $1,000 cash. The $100,000 cash goes to someone who correctly predicts the outcome of at least 194 of the 234 regular-season games. That’s an 82.9 percent success rate.
2019 Acura ILX giveaway
A 2019 Acura ILX and five prizes of $1,000 in slot free play will be given away in a drawing at 9 p.m. Sept. 27.
Slot and table game players get five entries for every point earned in September, with 10X entries for play on Mondays (20X entries for Elite level). The earning period stops at 8 p.m. Sept. 27.
Winners must be present to claim their prizes.
Wind Creek
77 Sands Blvd.
Bethlehem, PA 18015
(877) 726-3777
2019 Audi A6 sweepstakes
A 2019 Audi A6 and four prizes of $1,000 in slot free play are up for grabs at Wind Creek Sept. 29.
Player Rewards members get one drawing entry free, with additional entries based on rated slot play from Aug. 26 through 6:45 p.m. Sept. 29. Bonus entry days are:
- Every Tuesday in September, plus Sept. 27 and 28: 25X entries
- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through Sept. 22: 10X entries
A second-chance drawing at 9 p.m. Sept. 29 will give away five prizes of $1,000 in slot free play.
$10,000 Super Slot tournament
All Rewards card members are eligible for a free slot tournament offering a grand prize of $5,000 cash plus 24 other prizes of cash or slot free play.
The tournament will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Sept. 23. Entrants must register at the Rewards center between 9 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. that day. Those who earn three players club points that day qualify for a second entry.
