Post by Nyu Nozomi Hyuga on May 18, 2016 16:39:12 GMT -5
Casinos want to take bets on video game tournaments
LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) -- Gov. Brian Sandoval and other members of a Nevada gambling policy committee are getting a crash course on professional video gaming.
Gaming leaders want to cash in on professional video game tournaments by allowing people to bet on them.
"It has to be your life, you have to be consumed by it if you want to be an eSports professional," said Johnathan Wendel, a professional video gamer.
Wendel has made a career of playing video games professionally. He's better known for his username, FATAL1TY. He was just one of many speakers at a meeting designed to explore if Nevada can start taking bets on video game tournaments.
"Just because that's not something I do personally there's a very large population of people who like to participate, like to watch and maybe someday want to bet on that," said Governor Brian Sandoval.
The bets would either be like betting on a boxer or sports team, or players could bet against each other like a poker game. Last year alone, the industry is estimated to have generated nearly $750 million in revenue worldwide and gaming leaders say they want to be part of the action. Nevada Gaming Commission chairman Tony Alamo is on board.
"I've never made it a secret, I'm a gamer," said Alamo. "We have a group of doctors here in Las Vegas when our wives and kids go to bed and we fight aliens and predators."
In Las Vegas it's typically about how things fit in the casino. Seth Schorr is CEO of the Downtown Grand, a resort that's now hosting weekly video game tournaments.
"About 25% of the people who come, play on a Friday or Saturday night and end up at a gaming table or at the casino bar," Schorr said.
The challenge for regulators is making sure cheaters are kept at bay to solidify the integrity of the events. It's something Wendel says can easily happen with the right tools while at a meeting where he never imagined he'd be a headliner.
Schorr told the committee his sports book has already applied to take bets on video game tournaments. They feel the regulations are already in place in Nevada to handle the bets. If regulators agree, those wagers could be taken sooner rather than later.
www.scribd.com/doc/312486492/Gpc-Agenda-5-13-16-Final
The matchups are often broadcast live online and accompanied with play-by-play commentary.
Sandoval launched the group to explore ways to keep Nevada's gambling industry competitive. Beyond esports, the committee has discussed how to work with online gambling and daily fantasy sports industries.
For video: www.eventhubs.com/news/2016/may/17/nevada-governor-entertaining-prospect-esports-betting-casinos/
Source: news4sanantonio.com
