The state of Nevada has approved bets on esports matches including CS:GO, Overwatch and League of Legends in a landmark decision. Sportsbook William Hill has already started accepting bets for esports matches and others are expected to follow suit.
After initially approving ESL Pro League matches, the Nevada Gaming Control Board also approved bets on League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), Overwatch League and the League of Legends European Championship (LEC). The board approved head to head, match winner, and overall winner as the wager types for these tournaments.
The board prohibits all-in stakes and bets must cease before the start of a match. Additionally, all tournaments should have their official rules available to the public.
The bookmakers can determine the odds although they must first provide the Enforcement Division with notification of terms.
Esports bettors have various options to bet on esports with most of the biggest bookmakers already allowing esports bets. With the Nevada Gaming Control Board now allowing esports wagers, esports fans should look forward to better sign up offers and lucrative odds on rival websites.
We have compiled a list of the best bookmakers for esports in our esports betting guide:
The coronavirus pandemic has brought sports activity to a near standstill. With casinos suffering from the lack of footfall, the esports industry continues to defy the trend and surge forward. Despite moving online, ESL’s tournaments produced record viewership numbers for the ESL Pro League. PC Gaming platform Steam and Valve’s FPS game continue to break new concurrent player records during the pandemic.
Esports games are one of the few live games available on most sportsbooks. Traditional sports such as basketball, Volleyball and racing have also moved to their online format as they look to keep their fans engaged during this downtime.