A new gambling option is now available in the state of Nevada, thanks to William Hill. The sports book accepted wagers on the Intel Extreme Masters Oakland League of Legends video game tournament last week, which marked the first time that a legal wager took place in regards to an eSports event in the US.
According to ESPN, William Hill accepted the wagers via the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino, with gaming regulators having agreed to allow the wagering previously. Brian Sandoval, the Governor of Nevada, stated that the announcement of eSports wagering in the state is a major step towards ensuring Nevada becomes the eSports capital of the world. By embracing the unique opportunity and incorporating innovation and technology within the gaming industry, Sandoval feels that the state will be expanding the potential of one of their oldest industries.
The Nevada Gaming Policy Committee met last week and after hearing opinions on eSports wagering and discussing the option, decided to give William Hill the go-ahead. In the past, the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, A.G. Burnett, has stated that eSports competitions could be classified as athletic sports events. With this classification, the provision for the betting options would not have to see an amendment to current gambling laws of the state. Only small adjustments would need to be made to regulations.
The Chairman of Downtown Grand Casino, Seth Schorr, showed his gratitude towards gambling regulators of the state for the decision to allow eSports wagering. The casino is happy that their venue, along with William Hill, have been provided the ability to accept the first legal eSports bet I the United States.
The Oracle Arena of Oakland hosted the 2016 Intel Extreme Masters where League of Legend and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams from around the globe competed for the title of champions. Team Ninjas in Pyjamas were able to defeat SK Gaming with the Counter-Strike finals being streamed in virtual reality for the very first time.
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