Nevada regulators appoint members to Esports Technical Advisory Committee

08 November 2021

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The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has appointed several members to the Esports Technical Advisory Committee, a panel of individuals intended to better facilitate betting on esports in the state.

The Esports Technical Advisory Committee members were appointed by NGCB last Wednesday during a hearing, providing the regulator with a dedicated group tasked with providing best practices to the board.

Image Credit: Getty Images

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The committee’s responsibilities include guidance surrounding the maintenance of integrity of esports competitions and related betting.

The Esports Technical Advisory Committee consists of seven industry professionals, including:

  • Brett Abarbanel, Director of Research, International Gaming Institute at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Paul Hamilton, Co-Owner & CEO, Atlanta Esports Ventures
  • Seth Schorr, CEO, Fifth Street Gaming
  • Lovell Walker, Vice President of Development, Penn National Gaming
  • Christian Bishop, Chief Revenue Officer, Method
  • Jud Hannigan, CEO, Allied Esports
  • Brandon Snow, Head of Esports, Activision Blizzard

The committee will meet no more than once per calendar quarter, unless otherwise approved by the board to provide ‘necessary’ guidance to ensure the integrity of esports wagering. Administrative support provided by the NGCB will be made available to the committee.

Newly-appointed committees will maintain their positions until November 2024. Current regulation in Nevada authorises esports betting on a per-event basis. This requires operators to submit an application to the Gaming Control Board for vetting and approval for each competition.

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In 2020, Nevada regulators approved a record 12 esports events and leagues for wagering across a variety of game titles, including Dota 2, iRacing, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Call of Duty. Licensed operators could accept bets on three wager types: head to head, match winner, and overall winner.

Esports Insider says: Nevada’s Esports Technical Advisory Committee is certainly nothing to sneer at, combining an impressive mixture of both esports and gambling executives. This is a huge step for Nevada and, if able to achieve what the committee has set out to accomplish, will put the state at the forefront of esports betting in the country.

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