Official Contest Rules

1. Overview

Prize Hounds Cash Pick'Em contests are skill-based sweepstakes where participants make sports predictions for the opportunity to win cash prizes. Contests are not gambling — outcomes are determined by the accuracy of a participant's sports knowledge and analytical skill, not by chance.

2. Eligibility

1. Cash Pick'Em contests require participants to be at least 21 years of age. Age verification is required before entering any cash contest. Your date of birth is verified at registration and cannot be changed afterward.
2. Pick'Em Lite (Hound Coin) contests require participants to be at least 18 years of age.
3. Participants must be physically located in an eligible U.S. state at the time of entry. Cash contests are void in states where paid skill-based contests are prohibited by law, including but not limited to Montana, Washington, and Idaho.
4. Employees, officers, and directors of Prize Hounds, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling) or household members, are not eligible to participate in cash contests.
5. Each participant must have a valid Prize Hounds account with a verified email address.
6. Only one account per person is permitted. Creating multiple accounts to enter the same contest is prohibited and will result in disqualification and forfeiture of prizes.

3. How to Enter

1. Navigate to The Arena and select a Cash Pick'Em contest.
2. Review the contest details, including entry fee, prize structure, number of required picks, and lock time.
3. Make your required picks (e.g., select game winners or player prop over/unders) before the posted lock time.
4. Pay the listed entry fee using entry credits (purchased securely via Stripe with your debit or credit card) to complete your entry. Entry fees are charged in U.S. dollars. Free contests require no payment.
5. Once submitted and paid, your entry is confirmed. You may update your picks any number of times until the contest locks; after lock, picks are final and the entry fee is non-refundable.

4. Entry Fees & Refunds

1. Entry fees vary by contest and are clearly displayed before you enter. Common tiers include Rookie ($1), Pro ($5), Elite ($10), and Legend ($25-$50).
2. All entry fees are final and non-refundable once the payment is processed, except as described below.
3. If a contest does not reach the required minimum of 2 entries before the lock time, the contest is cancelled and all entry fees are refunded in full to the original payment method.
4. If a contest is cancelled by Prize Hounds for any reason before settlement, all entry fees are refunded in full.

5. Picks & Lock Times

1. Each contest specifies a number of required picks (e.g., "Pick 3 winners" or "Pick 5 Over/Unders"). All required picks must be made before the lock time.
2. Once the contest locks, no new entries are accepted and existing picks cannot be changed.
3. If a game is postponed, cancelled, or suspended after the lock time, picks for that game are scored as a push (see Section 6).
4. Picks must be made independently. Coordinated or syndicated entries across multiple accounts are prohibited.

6. Scoring & Winner Determination

Each contest specifies its scoring format, which is displayed on the contest detail screen and in this section of the in-app rules. The two formats currently supported are Standard and Confidence-Weighted.

6.1 Standard Scoring

1. Each correct pick earns 1 point. For Player Props contests, each correct Over/Under earns 1 point.
2. Postponed, suspended, or cancelled games are scored as a push and earn 0.5 points for any participant who picked them.
3. Highest total score wins.

6.2 Confidence-Weighted Scoring

1. For a contest requiring N picks, you must assign each pick a unique confidence value between 1 and N. Each value 1, 2, 3 ... N must be used exactly once — no duplicates and no missing values.
2. The server validates this rule on every submission. Submissions with duplicate or missing confidence values are rejected immediately and the entry remains incomplete until corrected.
3. If a pick is correct, the entry earns points equal to that pick's assigned confidence value. Maximum possible score for an N-pick contest is N × (N + 1) ÷ 2 (e.g., a 10-pick contest has a max score of 55).
4. Postponed, suspended, or cancelled games are scored as a push and earn half (×0.5) the assigned confidence value. For example, a postponed game on a pick assigned confidence 8 awards 4.0 points.
5. Highest total score wins.

6.3 Tiebreakers

1. Earliest entry wins. If two or more participants finish with the same total score for a prize-winning position, the participant whose entry was submitted earliest (per the server timestamp recorded when the entry was created) takes the higher rank.
2. Prizes are not split equally between tied participants. Each rank position (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) is awarded a single payout based on the rank assigned after tiebreaker.
3. For fixed-prize contests (e.g., a single gift card), the single highest-ranked entry after tiebreaker receives the entire prize.

6.4 Settlement

1. Settlement is automated via official data feeds (MLB Stats API, ESPN, or other league-official sources). Unofficial scores, in-game projections, or preliminary stats are never used.
2. If any contest game is still in progress, settlement is deferred and re-attempted hourly. After 24 hours past lock time, any remaining unfinal games are forced-settled as pushes so the contest can complete and prizes can be paid.
3. Once settled, the leaderboard ranks and final scores are visible to all entrants. Disputes must be filed with support within 48 hours of settlement.

7. Prize Structure & Payouts

1. Each contest displays its prize structure (e.g., 1st place: 60%, 2nd place: 25%, 3rd place: 15%, or a fixed gift card) before entry.
2. For pot-style cash contests: the prize pool consists of 85% of total entry fees collected. Prize Hounds retains a 15% platform service fee to cover operations, payment processing, and platform maintenance.
3. Cash prizes are sent directly to the winner's linked debit card or bank account within 72 hours of contest settlement via Stripe.
4. Gift card prizes (e.g., Amazon gift cards) are delivered to the winner's verified email within 72 hours of contest settlement. Winners must respond to the delivery email within 14 days or the prize is forfeited.
5. Identity verification is required for any single payout or aggregate annual winnings exceeding $600.
6. Winners are solely responsible for reporting and paying any applicable federal, state, or local taxes on prizes. For U.S. participants, Prize Hounds will issue IRS Form 1099-MISC for total annual winnings of $600 or more.

8. Prohibited Conduct

The following actions are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate disqualification, forfeiture of prizes, and permanent account suspension:

1. Creating or using multiple accounts to enter the same contest.
2. Using automated systems, bots, scripts, or algorithms to make picks.
3. Colluding with other participants to manipulate contest outcomes.
4. Providing false personal information or misrepresenting your identity, age, or location.
5. Exploiting software bugs, glitches, or errors in the platform.
6. Any form of match-fixing, insider trading on non-public information, or fraud.

9. Contest Modifications & Cancellations

Prize Hounds reserves the right to cancel, modify, or suspend any contest at any time due to:

1. Insufficient participation (fewer than minimum required entries).
2. Technical issues, platform errors, or data feed failures.
3. Game cancellations, postponements, or schedule changes by leagues.
4. Suspected fraud, manipulation, or rule violations.
5. Legal or regulatory requirements.

In the event of cancellation, all entry fees for the affected contest are refunded in full.

10. Dispute Resolution

1. If you believe an error has been made in scoring or settlement, you must contact Prize Hounds support within 48 hours of results being posted.
2. Prize Hounds will review all disputes in good faith and make a final determination within 7 business days.
3. The decision of Prize Hounds regarding contest results, scoring, eligibility, and prize awards is final and binding.
4. Any unresolved disputes shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

11. Responsible Gaming

Prize Hounds is committed to responsible participation. If you feel you are spending more than you can afford, please:

1. Set personal spending limits on your account.
2. Take a break — you can self-exclude from contests for 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, or permanently through your Account settings.
3. Contact the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit ncpgambling.org.

12. Privacy & Data

Your personal information is collected and used in accordance with the Prize Hounds Privacy Policy. Entry into a contest constitutes consent to the collection and use of your data as described therein. Winner names and general location (city/state) may be published for promotional purposes.

13. Limitation of Liability

Prize Hounds, its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising from participation in any contest, acceptance or use of any prize, or access to and use of the platform. Participation is at the entrant's own risk.