On May 13, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) will hold a committee meeting to discuss eSports.
The Gaming Policy Committee meeting will be opened by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, and will hear presentations from representatives of the eSports industry.
The selection of speakers indicates that the meeting is particularly interested in the potential for developing eSports as part of Nevada’s wider gaming industry.
Two main topics for discussion are on the agenda; “eSports and the next generation of gaming,” and “Online gaming and future opportunities for Nevada.”
Industry movers and shakers will be addressing the meeting
The speakers and their subjects for the first session are:
- Steve Hill, Director, Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Overview of the e-sports business model and economic opportunities for new innovation and technology in Nevada.
- Seth Schorr CEO, Fifth Street Gaming. Presentation and overview of e-sports events in Las Vegas and the future of the industry in Nevada.
- Scott Ball, Community Development and Poker Manager of Twitch. Presentation and overview of Twitch, e-sports, and the millennial generation in Nevada.
- Craig “Torbull” Levine, CEO of Electronic Sports League (ESL) North America and founder of esports Team 3D. Presentation and overview of ESL, e-sports in North America, and the future of the industry in Nevada.
- Jake “Ginko” Fyee, General Manager, e-sports team Echo Fox. Presentation and overview: What is a professional e-sports team?
- Johnathan ““FATAL1TY” Wendel, professional e-sports player. Presentation and overview: A day in the life of a professional e-sports player.
- Arthur N. Manteris, Vice President of Race and Sports Operations, Station Casinos, LLC. Presentation and overview of e-sports betting and possibilities for growing the industry in Nevada.
Online gaming and future opportunities for Nevada
Legal Sports Report founder Chris Grove has been invited to address the second session which will receive three presentations:
- Chris Grove, Senior Partner at Narus Advisors. Presentation and overview of the markets for e-sports betting and state-regulated online gaming in Nevada and throughout the United States.
- Michael Cohen, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, General Counsel, and CorporateSecretary of Caesars Acquisition Company. Presentation and overview of online gaming activities and opportunities for Nevada’s gaming future.
- Mark Clayton, Esq., Shareholder and Co-Chair of Gaming Practice, Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Presentation and overview of online gaming’s past, present, and future in Nevada.
The general public is allowed to attend the meeting, which will be held in the Clark County Commission Chambers at 9.30 a.m. There will be an opportunity for the public to add their own comments, although contributions from the floor will be limited to three minutes.
You can also watch the hearing via live stream here.
Nevada is a leader in innovative regulation
As the only U.S state with a legal comprehensive sports betting offering, it is natural for the NGCB to take an interest in expanding to the growing eSports industry.
It would be wrong to think that such an interest is automatic. The NGCB has distinguished itself with an innovative approach to regulation and openness to new industry developments.
Nevada is the first jurisdiction to allow groups of investors, “legal entities,” to bet on sports. The law passed last year has created a mutual fund style opportunity for sports betting in the state which has the potential to greatly expand access to legal sports betting.
Expectations are that this year Nevada will see the state regulated sports betting handle reach almost $5 billion.
“The way things are trending, it’s possible,” commented Michael Lawton, senior research analyst for the Gaming Control Board. “On a macro level, the sports betting industry in Nevada never has been stronger. There are a lot of moving parts contributing to what we’re seeing.”
eSports betting could soon be one of the important moving parts, and if so, the NGCB wants to make sure it has a well-regulated business on its hands.
Image: Hekerui / CC BY-SA 2.0
