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Is New Jersey All-In On The Future Of eSports Betting?
By Shane Addinall Nov 19, 2019 IndustryThe New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement opened up a whole new arena of digital gladiators for betting fans to either support or rally against when they greenlit eSports bets on the League of Legends finals - but where to from here?Betting’s current hot topic is undoubtedly eSports, where teams of pro gamers go head to head in tournaments designed to test their patience, endurance and ability to adapt to the everchanging playstyles of other human competitors.
Far from the days when kids played Mario sitting on the floor, these professional gamers run high-end computers with more processing power than some business servers and play for multi-million Euro prize pools. The 16-year Fortnite pro Kyle Giersdorf, who plays under the moniker ‘Bugha’, won an astounding €2,700,000 this past July at the Gaming World Cup.
✓New Jersey Welcomes eSports Bets
Still in its infancy, the eSports industry is already worth €1.3 Billion worldwide, which made it a game-changer for New Jersey sports betting when the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) opened its doors to legal betting on the popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), League of Legends.
David Main, head of US sports trading at Roar Digital, said:
“Esports is the fastest-growing spectator sport in the world — the sky’s the limit for its betting appeal … eSports already draws as much passion as traditional sports, and we expect wagering interest to continue to grow in the years ahead as esports enters the mainstream.”
Given that New Jersey online regulated sports betting in July this move into eSports betting by the DGE shows the rapid growth opportunities available to tech-savvy and open-minded regulators.
✓Place Your Bets
This new sports betting test case included key restrictions which will allow the DGE to monitor the industry and grow it safely and securely. These included a maximum wager limit of $1000, no in-game betting and not allowing wagers on matches where the youngest participant was younger than 18 or schools were shown to be sponsors.
Sports radio personality, Howard Eskin, broke the ice by being the first person to place a wager on the League of Legends finals. Eskin placed a $100 bet in favour of the G2 Team to win.
Unfortunately for Eskin, FunPlus Phoenix took home both the 2019 title and the €2.2 million prize purse, with G2 placing as runners up.
✓Just The Beginning
Given the immense scope of interest that eSports generates in terms of viewership David Main believes it is only a matter of time until operators and regulators find the happy medium that allows the niche to grow into the powerhouse it shows the promise of being.
Main is adamant that Roar Digital will be there when it happens:
“We are very bullish on the future of eSports betting, not just in New Jersey but around the globe, and are working with all relevant regulators on the best path forward”
For now, all eyes are on the DGE to see which event they will approve next for betting enthusiasts to roll the dice on.
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