Sportsbook Tournaments
Since the launch of The Festival Series, Sportsbook Tournaments have been a core part of the concept at nearly every stop. Over time, they have developed into a distinctive and popular element of the tour, offering a competitive alternative to traditional sportsbook betting. Designed as true player-versus-player competitions, these tournaments allow participants to compete against one another rather than against a bookmaker.
Over the years, several different formats have been tested and refined. Each version has contributed to shaping what the Sportsbook Tournament is today. This article provides a complete overview of every Sportsbook Tournament held at The Festival Series, from the first events in 2021 through to the most recent editions.
The Beginning of the Sportsbook Tournament Concept (2021)
The first Sportsbook Tournaments were held in Bratislava in 2021, which also marked the inaugural stop in The Festival Series' history. From the outset, The Festival positioned itself as a mixed-game entertainment festival, combining poker, casino games, and sportsbook tournaments into one unified experience.
In 2021, three Sportsbook Tournaments were introduced: a freeroll, a low-tier edition, and a high-tier edition. Each match within the tournament had a fixed pool of chips, created through equal contributions from all players. Once a match was settled, those chips were divided among everyone who predicted the correct outcome. This structure meant that less popular or bolder predictions could result in significantly higher rewards, adding a strong strategic layer beyond simply selecting favourites.
The format itself evolved through extensive testing, with multiple versions trialled across different tournaments. While details were adjusted along the way, the core concept proved successful and laid the foundation for future editions.
Expansion and Multiple Formats (2022)
At The Festival Tallinn 2022, the tournament was officially branded as 'The Gambling Cabin Sportsbook Tournament', marking the first larger community cooperation. The tournament ran as a one-day event with a higher buy-in, attracting a more competitive field.
Later that year in Bratislava, the Sportsbook Tournament expanded further. Players could choose between a low-buy-in tournament and a high-stakes championship edition. In addition, a freeroll version returned, offering players the chance to win tickets for the low-tier tournament.
Another important step in 2022 was the move to a dedicated web application, which was used to run the Sportsbook Tournament and manage predictions more efficiently.
Standardised Format Across All Stops (2023)
In 2023, a standard Sportsbook Tournament format was introduced across all Festival locations, including Nottingham, Malta, and Bratislava.
Each stop featured at least one tournament with a consistent structure: a one-day event, a single buy-in typically around €125 (or the local equivalent), no re-entries, and a fixed list of sports matches for all participants. Football matches were most commonly used, though ice hockey was also frequently included due to its global popularity and clear outcomes.
While the core structure remained the same, some local differences still existed. For example, in Malta, the casino’s local sportsbook machines were used to submit predictions for selected football matches. And in Nottingham the tournament was part of the hospitality package, giving players the option to participate at one of the many Betfred venues in Nottingham. Bratislava, however, did not have a sportsbook machine or venue close by, so it had a slightly different setup. Despite these differences, the principle of a standardised buy-in across all events was firmly established.
Mature and Refined Tournaments (2024)
By 2024, the Sportsbook Tournament format had reached full maturity.
At Festival stops such as Rozvadov and Malta, the tournaments were heavily promoted and consistently well attended. Rules were published in advance, scoring systems were fully transparent, and the events ran smoothly as standalone competitions.
The typical format now included a small selection of high-profile football matches, points awarded for correct results, bonus points for exact score predictions, and straightforward tie-break rules, such as the total number of goals scored across all matches.
These refinements helped establish the Sportsbook Tournament as one of the most reliable and enjoyable non-poker events on The Festival Series schedule.
Sportsbook Tournament at The Festival Rules
In 2025, Sportsbook Tournaments continued at all major Festival Series stops, using a structure that remains in place today.
The tournament is prediction-based and built around seven selected football matches and, in some cases, additional sports. For each match, players submit two predictions: the match outcome — Home win (1), Draw (X), or Away win (2) — and the exact final score. All matches count toward the overall ranking, and predictions are evaluated once all games are completed.
One designated fixture, known as the Match of the Day (for example, Chelsea vs Aston Villa), carries double points, giving it a greater impact on the final standings.
Scoring System
Six standard matches:
- Correct match outcome (1, X, or 2): 1 point
- Correct exact score: 2 points
Match of the Day:
- Correct match outcome: 2 points
- Correct exact score: 4 points
With seven matches in total, the maximum possible score is 24 points, rewarding both consistency and precision.
Tie-breaker: If two or more players finish with the same total score, the tie is decided by a separate prediction: the total number of goals scored across all matches. The closest prediction ranks higher.
What Makes a Festival Series Sportsbook Tournament Unique
Every Festival Series Sportsbook Tournament follows one defining principle: players compete against each other, not the sportsbook.
Every participant starts on equal footing, and results are determined purely by prediction accuracy and strategic decision-making. This peer-to-peer structure sets Festival Series Sportsbook Tournaments apart from traditional sportsbook betting and creates a fair, transparent, and skill-based competition. Check out the 2026 schedule of The Festival Series, and perhaps we will see you in one of the Sportsbook Tournaments!
