The sports betting industry across the world has taken a big hit with the current sports hiatus. It has reached such critical levels that Nevada has decided to allow sportsbooks in the state to accept offers on certain eSports events.
On Wednesday, Nevada approved sportsbooks to accept eSports wagers on a game titled Counter Strike: Global Offensive, also known as CS:GO. In the past, only specific events or tournaments have been approved for betting. This is the first time that an entire league has been approved for betting.
eSports betting has already been a thing over in Europe but is still a relatively new practice here in the United States. New Jersey previously allowed betting on a specific eSports tournament in the past (2019 League of Legends World Championship final). Like Nevada, New Jersey regulators must also approve specific eSports events before they can legally be bet on. eSports betting as a whole is still illegal in New Jersey, which is why regulators must approve specific events to be bet on.
Nevada approved three types of betting for the CS:GO eSports league: head to head, winner of each match and the overall season winner. All bets must be placed prior to the start of each match, no live betting.
For those who will be interested in betting on the CS:GO ESL Pro League 11: North America, you can watch events live on YouTube and Twitch. The matches that have been approved are part of the ESL Proleague. William Hill already has lines posted for upcoming events. However, all licensed bookmakers in the state are eligible to begin accepting bets on the CS:GO league.
This is a big step for the eSports world and those who like to bet on it. New Jersey is currently discussing legislation that would legalize betting on eSports events. As the live sports world still appears months away from resuming, we may see more states temporarily approve eSports betting to help boost revenue. This may even lead to some states legalizing eSports betting as a whole.
