When it comes to sports betting, most players think of wagers placed on the NFL, MLB or other professional sports sectors. For months now, players in New Jersey have been able to wager on their favorite teams with top picks earning nice windfalls. The state now has one more option for bettors, after it was announced that the Division of Gaming Enforcement has allowed the industry to expand to Esports.
New Category
The sports betting industry in the state is now allowed to take wagers on competitive video game tournaments. Across the United States, Esports is rapidly growing, so it makes sense for the state to expand to this realm of wagering. Because of the approval, top bookmakers in the state can offer odds on major events, such as the League of Legends tournament taking place in Paris.
In June of last year, legalized sports betting began in New Jersey. It seemed that the state was not going to allow wagering on video game competitions at that time. However, regulations enacted by the Division of Gaming Enforcement left room for a change to be made in the future.
With the increase in popularity of Esports, it was only a matter of time before the option was made available so that bettors could wager on competitions featuring popular video games. Experts believe that Esports will continue to grow and will provide a small increase for sports betting handle as a whole.
Allowing sportsbooks like FanDuel to offer odds on the League of Legends tournament was a decision that was not taken lightly by the Division. The group investigated the tournament before providing approval and they found integrity within the tournament option. However, for now, the wagering option is a one time thing. In the future, we may see an open market where all Esports events can be subject to wagering both online and in person.
Borgata The First
The first casino to take a legal wager for a League of Legends event was the Borgata Casino. The casino was proud to be the first to see such a wager placed and they look forward to engaging with future generations of Esports fans as well as the traditional sports fans.
Via the Borgata sports betting app, the brand has the G2 Esports team as the one wo win the world championship at odds of -139. FunPlus Phoenix is at +115 odds.
With the Division allowing this wagering opportunity on Esports events shows their willingness to evolve and adapt based on the industry. The state of New Jersey is a ground-breaker when it comes to gambling in general, being the best in the US when it comes to offering sports betting services, be it online or in retail format.
In the future, we may see the Esports sector before a more regular option in the betting market. Over the past few years, we have seen Esports grow significantly, with some areas of the US focusing on offering spots to host tournaments.
In Las Vegas, there is a new Esports arena and events are often hosted in the city with travelers coming solely to Sin City to watch the gaming action. Today’s younger gamblers are more apt to play video games than traditional slots so it will not be surprising to find that this type of betting becomes more of the norm.
We shall watch and see if more Esports events are offered for wagering in the future, within NJ or any other state with legalized betting in the US.
