Nevada to Accept eSports Wagers
The state of Nevada passed Senate Bill 240, which legalizes eSports wagers among others. The bill doesn’t specially mention eSports, but calls it “competitive gaming.” Sportsbooks can also post odds on awards shows and the like. The bill will go into effect on July 1. Senate Bill 240 also mentions “other events,” meaning events like the World Series of Poker.
The wagering will be done by pari-mutuel wagering, such as used at horse tracks and harness tracks across the country. The more bets on side receives, the lower the odds go. This will help ensure that games are played on the up-and-up. If too much money is bet on one side, their odds will drop tremendously. That will also raise a red flag from the Gaming Control Board. Sen. Becky Harris said it will also sportsbooks to offer bets they may not have otherwise.
The eSports community has a lot to gain with passage of the bill. Especially as they are trying gain footing and and be considered legitimate athletes. During a hearing on the bill, entrepreneur and former FPS champion Johnathan “Fatal1ty†Wendel testified on behalf of the bill. He referenced his own particular training regime in order to help convince regulators that eSports players should be included among “athletes.”
You can think of eSports as almost like a video game competition. But it isn’t child’s play and the industry generates more than $1 billion per year. Most of that comes from tournaments, sponsorships, etc. Sponsors not only include video game makers, but energy drinks and the like have gotten into the act. The best eSports players in the world make close to six figures a year. Not bad for playing games.
The more popular eSports competitions include fighting games and sports games, such as Madden Football. But other games like Counter Strike Global Offensive have its share of gaming supporters.
