This week the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee met for the final time in 2016, and esports featured prominently on the agenda. According to Las Vegas Review-Journal, five esports experts gave speeches that were warmly received by the committee members.
Hey a motion was made to allow betting on #Esports in Nevada! I'd say it was a successful day @OPReport. #goUnikrn @UnikrnCo
— Rahul Sood ?☠️ (@rahulsood) November 16, 2016
Rahul Sood, CEO of Unikrn and Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming are two of the main supporters of esports in Las Vegas casinos.
The committee are aware of the size of the unregulated skin betting industry, which experts believe could reach a value of up to $23 billion (~£18 billion) by 2020. The opportunity to capture some of the unregulated industry is clearly there and it seems from Sood’s tweets that the Nevada committee are taking heed of the now blossoming esports space.
.@BrianSandoval great meeting you today Governor. Really impressed with the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee, very forward thinking crew!
— Rahul Sood ?☠️ (@rahulsood) November 16, 2016
Millennial Esports already have built an esports arena at Neonopolis which sits 500 spectators and has built-in broadcasting facilities in the first major esports move.
According to the review-journal, workshops are set to begin as early as next month with casinos that wish to adopt esports wagering potentially being able to do so in early 2017.
Esports Insider says: This is great news for esports. Whilst there’s been early comparisons with UFC and esports, it may take a little while for Las Vegas to become the supposed global “hub” of esports. Having wagering facilities in addition to esports fitted arenas would be a fascinating move and should the legislative barrier be overcome, we’re intrigued to see how the space develops.