- The development of esports betting in Nevada has experienced some setbacks
- To make up for that, the local authority has established an esports committee that will assist in approving bodies for accepting wagers
- The committee’s chairman is sure that within a decade esports betting will be as popular as sports betting
A Nevada esports committee is working hard to speed up the development of the esports betting sector and is optimistic about its future.
Nevada’s Esports Advisory Body Will Help to Develop the Sector
With esports gambling on the rise, numerous US jurisdictions have shown interest in developing their esports betting markets. Nevada is one such state. Despite falling behind New Jersey in recent times, Nevada is bullish on reestablishing itself as an undisputed leader in wagering on competitive gaming. An article by news outlet CDC detailed Nevada’s approach.
The key to the strategy of the Silver State will be a new committee that will guide the industry by providing valuable advice. The committee consists of seven members approved by the state’s Gaming Control Board. Those include various seasoned veterans such as Fifth Street Gaming’s CEO Seth Schorr, Blizzard’s head of esports Brandon Snow, Oddin.gg’s advisor Becky Harris, UNLV International Gaming Institute's director Brett Abarnel, Penn National Gaming’s president of development, Lovell Walker, Allied Esports’ CEO, Jud Hannigan and Christian Bishop. The committee will be headed by Atlanta Esports Ventures’ CEO, Paul Hamilton who will serve as its chairman.
Casinos must be approved by the Gaming Control Board before taking esports bets which has slowed down the development of the esports wagering sector. However, the committee will help certain leagues to be approved to offer wagering without a permit.
Hamilton is Optimistic About the Future of Esports Betting
Hamilton spoke about the growth of esports betting, noting that esports is quickly surpassing traditional sports in every aspect. He is optimistic that within a decade esports betting options might sit on the front page right next to those for professional sporting events such as the National Football League.
“I think over the next five years, you’re going to see a lot of people feeling comfortable in the growth in that space. In 10 years, I can see them side by side without any question at all. It’s already happening, but we’re just going to open the gates and make sure it’s done right.”
Hamilton is convinced that Las Vegas has the potential of becoming a global hub for top-level esports events that will fill whole arenas and attract visitors from each part of the globe. He is sure that Las Vegas’ fame and experience with betting will take such events to the next level.
Schorr is Glad to Work With the Committee
Schorr is one of the other members of Nevada’s esports committee. He is known as one of the most prominent advocates of esports and esports betting in Las Vegas and has propagated the idea since 2015. He is delighted by the creation of the committee, believing it will speed up the development of the esports betting sector.
“In the past six years, there haven’t been many additional wagers is because the process to get a wager approved by the Gaming Control Board was cumbersome and inefficient. This committee working with the Gaming Control Board to pre-approve matches, leagues, and team operators will make it easier for the sportsbooks to get ahead of determining what they can accept wagers on.”
Schorr added that before that some events would be approved for wagering on the very day of the event.
Integrity remains one of the biggest challenges for esports betting to overcome but the committee members clarified that despite being real problems, match-fixing and cheating can be dealt with. This is especially important as investors expect a degree of integrity before investing in the sector.
