The casinos and operators in Las Vegas are looking into adding eSports to their long list of bets that can be placed at the various sportsbooks scattered around the city. This came about when the Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval had a meeting with the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee to discuss just what eSports is and whether or not they could legally place wagers on the different events that happen all year round.
Millennial’s New Way of Competing
Ever since the dawn of the internet, gamers have been connected in ways that no one knew they could be, and that has driven these millennial’s to start competing in what is referred to as eSports. Rather than go out on the field and compete with the conventional sports, they mix the internet with the power of video games. The idea that people will compete through any of the hundreds of computer and console games has been getting much more popular within these past few years.
It has grown so big that they calculate that eSports will become a $1.9 billion industry by 2018. Anytime there is money and competition involved, Las Vegas will be there hoping to get a piece of the action. Games that have such a large following, like League of Legends, Counter-Strike: GO, and Starcraft, are the ones that got these casinos interested. This is one way they could adapt to the future, seeing as fewer people are interested in going to the gaming floor and sitting at the tables to bet.
Innovating Ways for Casinos to Gamble
We all know that video game based slot machines are starting to pop-up around the United States, so why not innovate the concept of sports betting. Sandoval is hoping that by introducing newer, and more popular forms of competition to the sportsbooks will help increase revenue.
“There’s a lot for me to learn. And I want to be receptive to a new generation of gamers.”
Nevada’s gaming laws could have been a concern, but thanks to the meeting they had last Friday, it would seem that this type of gambling does not go against the list of prohibited wagers. A lot of online regulated and unregulated websites have popped up as a cause of this, and casinos are now getting onboard with the idea. The Downtown Grand recently installed a video game lounge that spreads eSports tournaments every weekend, and Mandalay Bay hosted a League of Legends tournament last month.
We may see the start to a new era, where these gamers become the new athletes that casino sportsbooks create the latest lines and odds for.
