Dammit, bob.
We have no need for reality here. Move along!!
We have no need for reality here. Move along!!
Let's take the US Open as an example. There were 13 tables and the event lasted 7 days. Call it 6 days as the final day used only a few tables. The matches ran from 10AM to 1AM so you are looking at two shifts with relief. I think it takes a minimum of 4 staff per table unless you want to work them really hard. Total staff would be 52.
For each of those you have to pay them and house them. Maybe you also provide snacks/sandwiches so they don't have to go to a restaurant during breaks. The hotel rooms are about $100/night but you could ask them to double up. 26 rooms for 7 nights is $18,200. You need to pay the staff something. $50/day might be OK if you also provided sandwiches/salads/cookies/drinks in a break room. Call it 6 days which comes to $15,600. The hotel is going to charge at least $5000 for the food service ($16/person/day). You are looking at something like $40,000 to provide one staff person (ref/scorer) at each table for each match.
You also have the considerable effort of finding and organizing the staff so you will have to pay a head ref. He needs to have some orientation/training time with the staff.
If you offer the players the choice of having a trained, alert official at each table or having $40,000 more in the prize fund, I'm pretty sure I know which they will pick.