Nevada Regulators Give the Go-Ahead to Esports Betting
Published April 2, 2020 by Elana K
The Nevada Gaming Control Board announced that it will be allowing betting on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s ESL Pro League Season 11: North America, making it the first state to enact such regulations.
Due to the massive hit that sports betting in the United States is taking due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has been seeking other sources of revenue. One of these new-found sources is betting on esports, which the Board has just approved. Betting on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s ESL Pro League Season 11: North America is now underway in Nevada. This is the first time that betting on esports has been allowed in the state, and William Hill has become the first bookmaker to accept wagers on it.
Betting Rules
Approved bets include head to head, winner of each match, and overall season winner. In-game betting is not be allowed. Bookmakers that wish to offer other types of wagers will need to apply separately to the Gaming Control Board.
Licensed bookmakers that choose to offer betting on CS:GO must notify the state’s Enforcement Division and make sure to stop accepting bets before each match begins. These same sportsbooks are permitted to define match odds as long as the governing rules of the wagers are made available to the public.
One-Time vs. Ongoing
New Jersey was the first state to allow licensed sportsbooks to accept bets on esports. In November 2019, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement made the allowance for the League of Legends World Championship finals. The difference between this and the current Nevada ruling is that New Jersey’s allowance was for a specific event, and a one-time deal. Nevada’s new regulations apply to an entire league, not just one event.
New Jersey, is not content, however, to sit back and do nothing as its sports betting industry dwindles down to nothing. Earlier this month, New Jersey’s Assembly of Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee proposed a bill that will allow esports betting on a regular basis.
Steve Batzer, G3Esports advisor, commented, “The potential for esports in New Jersey is really incredible. This really is a new demographic target for Atlantic City.”
