William Hill First to Offer eSports Betting in Nevada
Published November 20, 2016 by Ivan P
William Hill US has become the first company to accept eSports wagers in the US thanks to their partnership with Downtown Grand Casino in Nevada.
William Hill, one of the biggest British bookmakers, is set to become the first bookie to offer betting on eSports in Nevada. William Hill US has partnered with Downtown Grand Casino and the newly forged partnership has received a required license to start accepting eSports wagers.
To promote the new offer, William Hill has been taking in the bets on this weekend's IEM Oakland's eSports League of Legends event.
eSports Categorized as Athletic Sports Events
The Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board A. G. Burnett explained there were no obstacles for the Nevada-based casino to accept eSports events wagers since, according to the current state laws, eSports can be categorized as athletic sports events.
Downtown Grand Casino has been one of the venues leading the way when it comes to eSports. The latest partnership with the bookmaking giant William Hill and ensuring the required approval are a step further in that direction.
To further promote eSports wagering, Downtown Grand has even organized a live viewing of the LoL event finals, with those in the audience being able to bet on one of the six teams to win the tournament.
Downtown Grand Proud to Be a Pioneer
Seth Schorr, Downtown Grand's Chairman, emphasized he was very proud of the fact the venue has become the first place in the US to offer legal eSports betting. They've invested a lot of time, effort, and money in popularization of eSports and this is certainly a major milestone.
This weekend's event is just a beginning. William Hill and Downtown Grand Casino have their eyes set on the events in the nearby future. The first such an event is the Major League Gaming eSports festival, taking place December 16-18.
With this deal, William Hill will make gambling history, as they've become the first sportsbook in the US to accept a wager on an eSports event. However, with popularity of eSports growing, there will certainly be more operators joining the party in the near future.
