Nevada Advisory Committee Raises Esports Betting Proposal

Earlier this week, the Nevada Esports Technical Advisory Committee came together and hosted its third meeting of the year. At this session, it was determined that the committee – featuring eight industry experts – would forward an esports betting proposal to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. At the core of ETAC is the responsibility of governing and managing regulations regarding esports betting practices, and this latest action could be the most impactful move the committee has made to date.

If this proposal passes, it’ll bring amendments to Regulation 22, allowing bettors in the state of Nevada to place wagers on esports tournaments played either online or in the state itself. This proposal is the culmination of months of work, and it has been brewing since the committee first convened in March of this year. If the ETAC is successful in this venture, a regulatory framework could be put in place that permits sportsbooks to accept bets on esports tournaments.

Could Esports Betting Be Legitimised in Nevada?

It was several months ago that the ETAC determined that it would be easier and more efficient to amend existing wagering rules than it would be to create an entirely new system specifically for esports. That’s the key component of this proposal – an amendment to the existing regulations that concern sports pools and race books in the state of Nevada. If this proposal passes, those regulations will be amended to include ‘video game competitions’.

It’s the ETAC’s goal to bring regulated and legitimised esports betting practices to the gambling mega-hub that is Nevada. At present, the esports betting industry is undergoing record growth, and in recent years, has catapulted upwards to establish itself as a billion-dollar market. As the esports industry becomes increasingly well-regulated, many governing bodies are surfacing, and the ETAC seeks to work with the finest of them.

It was revealed that the ETAC would put together an all-important list of ‘sanctioning organisations’ that have already hosted successful, popular events. These organisers would receive something of a fast pass, gaining them ‘easier approval’ of wagering on any upcoming tournaments that they’re hosting. Put simply, the more ‘legitimate’ the bodies behind the tournament, the more likely it’ll be that esports wagering opportunities arise in Nevada.

Since the first meeting of the ETAC in March, the committee has been working to enlighten the Nevada Gaming Commission as to the increasing value of esports betting. In July, the ETAC came together once again, this time with the likes of Oddin, GRID, and Bayes all in attendance, and all of them set on writing out the future of esports betting in Nevada.

There’s no information confirming when the proposal will be reviewed or decided upon, but it isn’t expected to take very long.