FAQ

A weekly paid-entry, single-elimination Madden bracket. Buy in, get auto-seeded by ELO, win your matches, climb to the final. The prize pool comes from the buy-ins, split across the posted paying places. It’s 100% skill — no chance, no betting.

Create an account, add your gamertag and EA ID (Sign In → My Record → Edit account), then hit Buy In on the tournament page while registration is open. Your seat is locked when payment completes.

Brackets auto-seed from live ELO with best-matchup placement plus a controlled dose of randomness, so top seeds meet late but no two brackets are ever the same.

Ready up within 10 minutes of your match opening. Once live, report within 1h 20m. After one player reports, the other has 5 minutes to confirm or dispute. In a dispute, both sides get 7 minutes to upload screenshot proof. Full detail in the Official Gulag Rules.

A dispute opens automatically. Upload your postgame screenshot on the match card within the proof window. A human mod reviews both sides and rules — the ruling is final. This is why you always screenshot the final score before leaving the lobby.

No — ready up on time and you win by forfeit when the ready window closes, advancing to the next round. Your buy-in stays in play.

Accidental disconnect = remake and rebuild. Remake the lobby with the opening possession flipped, then both players play the game back to the exact state at the drop — same score, same clock, ball back with whoever had it — and second-half possession mirrors the original game. Screenshot the disconnect moment before leaving the lobby. Full detail in the Official Gulag Rules.

Each tournament posts its prize table up front — percentages of the post-rake pool or fixed amounts (e.g., $500 champion / $150 runner-up), sometimes with a bounty on the previous champion. When the tournament completes, payouts are sent to the payout method on your account — set it in My Record before the final, because prizes go to what’s on file.

The house’s posted percentage of the pot — SLIM GHOST’s cut for running the event. Every tournament shows its buy-in, rake, and full money math before you enter. No hidden fees.

Your skill rating. Everyone starts at 1200; wins move you up, losses down, and beating higher-rated players moves you further. ELO drives seeding and the Rankings board.

SLIM GHOST’s Madden e-books: full offensive and defensive schemes — formation → play → setups, with film for every setup. The same playbook run in Madden Championship Series competition.

Three tiers — Recruit, Starter, Franchise — each unlocking more of the library. A purchase grants 30 days of access to your tier and everything below it. No auto-renew: you buy each 30-day term yourself.

No — access is personal, and sharing or reposting content is a bannable violation of the Terms. Send your friend a referral instead; they can get their own tier.

No. Gulag results are decided by how you play — pure skill, head to head. There’s no wagering on other people’s games and no element of chance deciding outcomes. Paid entry into skill competitions is lawful in most U.S. states, but it’s your responsibility to confirm it’s permitted where you live — see the Terms of Service.

18 or older (or the age of majority where you live) for anything involving money.

Buy-ins: yes, until registration closes or you’re seeded; automatic if the event cancels or doesn’t fill. Vault: within 48 hours if you haven’t opened a playbook. Full detail in the Refund Policy.

All card payments run through Stripe over encrypted connections. We never see or store your full card number.

Possibly — prize money can be taxable income. We may collect tax info before larger payouts and issue forms where the law requires. Talk to your tax person; we can’t advise you.

The Watch page: SLIM GHOST’s stream, any individual player stream, or build your own multi-view wall — RedZone style. Link your Twitch in your account so your matches can be watched live.

Yes — streaming is mandatory for Gulag matches, with GULAG in your stream title. It keeps the competition honest and doubles as automatic evidence if a score is ever disputed. Link your Twitch in your account so your stream shows on the Watch page.