During the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional sports are on hiatus while esports are finding ways around the delays. Unfortunately, many people are missing the sports season they regularly bet on. Luckily, esports has taken one step towards a milestone: gaining the state of Nevada’s approval for people to place bets on them. On Wednesday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board “granted approval to offer wagers on Counter-Strike – ESL Pro League Season 11: North America”. This decision may encourage other states to legalize esports betting.
In previous years, regulators had allowed betting and gambling for a handful of esports events. The state allowing it for an entire league, however, is something new. This may also encourage a larger audience to watch CSGO during the suspension of other sporting events. Online betting and odds website William Hill was one of the first companies to partake in esports betting, with their current event being this week’s CSGO‘s Best of 3 Tournament matches.
In Nevada’s official approval, it clarifies the 3 kinds of wagering allowed.
- Head to Head
- Winner of Each Match
- Overall Season Winner
Esports breaking through
Additionally, there are some conditions following this approval. If another wager deviates from the above listed, it’s not automatically counted out. It would, however, have to go through an application and gain the state’s approval in order to pass.
Although Europe and New Jersey accept wagering in esports, it has yet to be legalized. Last November, New Jersey’s casinos and racetracks began placing bets on competitive esports. The state is also trying to legalize esports betting with the bill A637, which has recently advanced out of an Assembly committee. The state’s Assembly Tourism, Gaming & the Arts Committee is currently waiting for Speaker approval.
During this time where the COVID-19 pandemic has left many sporting events postponed or canceled, esports finds a way to thrive. As new audiences move towards online gaming and tournaments, esports betting creates an impactful experience for those traditional sports lovers.
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