As the SBRA continues to grow, it is important to review and clarify the role of districts, jackpot sanctioning, and associated fees to ensure consistency, fairness, and proper oversight.
Background & Intent of Districts
● Districts were originally established to:
○ Ensure each region contributed financially toward SBRA Finals
○ Provide local oversight of jackpots, with directors as the primary point of contact
● Since the introduction of the mandatory prize fee, the district role has shifted toward:
○ Supporting jackpot hosts and contestants within their area
○ Providing local oversight and consistency
○ Acting as the first point of contact for issues, including incidents or accidents involving insurance
● Directors continue to be required to fulfill duties at SBRA Finals
● There is nothing in the SBRA insurance policy that requires jackpots to be sanctioned within a district, but the district system remains important for accountability and local management
Current Practices & Challenges
● Jackpots must be sanctioned within the district in which they are physically located
● The only exception is jackpots near a district boundary — hosts may choose a neighbouring district, but that choice must remain consistent and not change between seasons or events
Series Naming & District Mini Finals Clarification
● Series using names like "District 1 Mini Finals" or "District 10 Mini Finals" are series names only
● All series must follow SBRA rules first and foremost
● As long as SBRA rules are followed, the SBRA does not have control over or input into how a series is operated
● Each series independently sets its own:
○ Rules and structure
○ Fees and qualifications
○ Prizes and payouts
○ Approval or non-approval of jackpots within the series
● No SBRA member may be turned away from a sanctioned jackpot or mandated to pay a series fee
● Jackpot entry fees are set by the host — not the series
● Contestants who choose not to participate in a series may still enter the jackpot but would be excluded from series prizes or money
● Much of the confusion stems from the naming — a series called "The Prairie Series" or "Get R Done Series" would be far less confusing than one named after an SBRA district
Fee Structure & Transparency
● Districts cannot enforce a mandatory fee to be applied to each jackpot
● Each jackpot host sets their own fees and should clearly communicate:
○ The portion going into the payout (contestant pot)
○ Any arena and/or timer fees
○ The SBRA mandatory prize fee
