The Nevada Gaming Control Board released a notice of approval on Wednesday permitting wagers on DreamHack Masters Spring.
The exemption will allow the state’s licensed sportsbooks to post and accept bets on the 2020 edition of DreamHack Masters in three different wager types: head to head, match winner, and overall winner.
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The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event, which will see its first match played on May 19th, is the fourth CS:GO event to make an appearance in the Gaming Control Board’s esports portfolio in the last two months. DreamHack Masters Spring will join the likes ESL Pro League, ESL Meisterschaft, and the ESL Rio Major as Nevada esports offerings.
Nevada licensees can accept wagers on DreamHack Masters Spring with immediate effect, so long as they abide by the regulatory guidelines outlined by the Control Board. Official rules governing the tournament must be made publicly available via the event organiser or the sanctioning body’s website prior to accepting wagers. Nevada bookmakers intending to offer bets on DreamHack Masters Spring must first provide the Enforcement Division with a notification of terms.
All in-play betting options will be off the table, per the Control Board’s regulatory requirements; stating wagers on the tournament must cease prior to the start of each match. The setting of odds will be at the discretion of the sportsbook, with the promise that rules and results governing these wagers are based on a permissible source and available to the public.
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Licensed sportsbooks will have the ability to offer bets that deviate from the three approved wagers types, but it will require a separate application and approval to carry out.
The notice of approval is one of many to come from the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s offices in the last several months. In addition to CS:GO, betting exemptions have been instituted for Dota 2, iRacing, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Call of Duty. Notably, these offerings include tournament series and leagues such as the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, which will supplement sportsbook’s offerings with a larger volume of betting opportunities.
Esports Insider says: Esports very well may be the gambling industry’s side-hustle while traditional sports betting opportunities are off the cards, but it’s giving bookmakers an intimate opportunity to flirt with competitive gaming and its betting precinct. The current buffet of options which includes six different esports is also a good sign for operators looking to test the waters in a few different markets.