Five of the 15 spots on our inaugural list of the sporting events with the biggest prize money are occupied by soccer tournaments.

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With the help of my friends at MGM Resorts International, which owns most of the highest profile Vegas casino resorts, including the Bellagio, Aria, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, New York New York, Luxor, Excalibur and Circus Circus, I put together a Top 10 list of the biggest and best sporting events worth traveling to Vegas for.

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The list of the top 50 most-viewed sporting events of 2012 from the first half of the year (in other words, before the Olympics) includes healthy helpings of football, basketball, golf and NASCAR.

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He picked a list of 10, met them at movie premieres and sporting events and then sent them his beanies.

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