BetMGM Poker has revealed a new football-themed tournament series, the Gridiron Classic, aimed at capitalizing on the excitement of the ongoing 2024-25 NFL season.
Running in each of the three US markets — New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan — the series offers players not only a robust tournament lineup but also the chance to win customized football jerseys.
The series takes place from October 13 to 20, featuring 30 tournaments in each state, with nearly $900,000 in combined guarantees.
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The Gridiron Classic draws inspiration from one of America’s favorite sports, football, with tournaments named after popular football terms such as “First Down,” “Flea Flicker,” “Extra Point,” and “Touchdown.”
These creatively named events will run on BetMGM Poker NJ, BetMGM Poker PA, and BetMGM Poker MI. The series in New Jersey will be the largest, offering $345,500 in guaranteed prize pools, while the Pennsylvania edition of the series boasts $304,500, and Michigan promises $232,500.
Gridiron Classic Series Details
Unique to the Gridiron Classic are 12 special Jersey Events in each state, where winners will receive a customized BetMGM Football jersey on top of the first-place prize. These jerseys will be personalized with the winner’s screen name and the event number they won.
The buy-ins for the series range from $20 to $1,000, with the Touchdown Main Event being the highlight. Each state’s Main Event will feature a $75,000 guarantee, regardless of the state.
Other notable events include the $250 Coin Toss, guaranteeing $30,000 in New Jersey and $25,000 in Michigan and Pennsylvania; the $500 Kickoff, which also offers $30,000 in NJ and $25,000 in the other two states; and the $250 Flea Flicker with a $12,000 guarantee in NJ and $10,000 in MI and PA. Winners of these events will receive a custom jersey.
The rest of the series features PKOs, PLO, and 6-max tournaments, all with regular or slow blind structures — no turbo or hyper-turbo formats are included.
Unique Prizes in Online Poker: Jerseys, Trophies, & More
This marks the third time BetMGM Poker has run a sports-themed tournament series offering custom jerseys in 2024, having previously hosted basketball-themed (March Poker Mania) and baseball-themed (Summer Classic) series earlier in the year. BetMGM is clearly tapping into the intersection of poker and sports fandom, providing players with tangible rewards that go beyond the typical cash prize.
The concept of handing out jerseys is not entirely new, though. Several poker operators have used similar strategies to engage players in the past, particularly in the US online poker market. Full Tilt Poker, now defunct, had used similar promotions in the past, offering customized jerseys to tournament winners. This practice was popular among players, allowing them to have a unique memento of their victory.
BetMGM’s jersey giveaway mirrors the broader trend among online poker operators to offer unique, non-monetary prizes. PokerStars, for example, awards trophies during its Championship of Online Poker (COOP) series, while WSOP is known for its coveted bracelets and rings. The latter even introduced championship belts for winners of the WSOP Online Championship series. BetMGM itself has previously offered trophies in its flagship Online Championships.
Interestingly, WSOP has also dipped into football-themed promotions. Last year, it ran a Football Fridays campaign where players had the opportunity to win jerseys for their favorite NFL teams by participating in BLAST games.
BetMGM Poker’s Gridiron Classic Series brings together poker and football in a way that resonates with both sports fans and poker players. The chance to win a personalized jersey, along with nearly $900,000 in guarantees, makes this series stand out in the current US online poker landscape.
Gridiron Classic runs from October 13 to 20.