I follewed the documentation example with the 3 views steps, but if I enable the email notification to winners, and I schedule the contest with rules, when the rule execute the activation of the contest, appear this error in a white page: "Fatal error: Cannot use string offset as an array in ... simple_contest.api.inc on line 305", and the contest close the status and finalize winners sending email.
Without partecipant view for email it works great!
Maybe I'm wrong in the view settings? It have just the uid and nid like in the document example...

It seems like a php5 sintax error..

suggestions?