The Nevada Gaming Control Board have issued an approval notice permitting wagers to be placed on ESL One Birmingham.
As a result, the state’s licensed sportsbooks are authorised to post and accept bets which fall under the three approved wager types: head to head, match winner, and overall winner.
RELATED: SIS to optimise Bet365’s esports offerings
Unspared by the effects of COVID-19, ESL One Birmingham, a prominent event on the Dota 2 calendar, was reduced to a series of online, regional competitions. The tournament is already underway, with matches being held until June 7th.
Nevada licensees opting to provide markets on ESL One Birmingham must first disclose their intent to the Enforcement Division via a notification of terms. Sportsbooks will be required to display official rules from the event organiser or sanctioning body’s website prior to accepting wagers. Bookmakers will have the right to determine odds for the markets, with rules governing incoming wagers made publicly available.
RELATED: ESI Gambling Report: Integrity, regulation, protection in fast-growing esports betting market
Per the Control Board’s conditions, sportsbooks are not permitted to accept in-play bets, and states all wagers must cease prior to the start of each match. Results must be based on a permissible source complying with Nevada regulatory protocol, and once a winner is declared, all wagers will stand. Sportsbooks electing to offer additional markets deviating from the approved three wager types will require separate application and approval from the Control Board.
The exemption marks the second Dota 2 event to be cleared by Nevada regulators for betting, following ESL One Los Angeles in early-April. Altogether, the Nevada Gaming Control Board have approved 12 esports events since March, with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, iRacing, Call of Duty, and Overwatch all part of the state’s betting catalogue.
Esports Insider says: Nevada’s regulatory body and its operators have done a splendid job bringing esports to the country’s gambling capital. The diversity of titles will hopefully draw enough attention and wagers to help the state, and the rest of the country, consider esports betting on a full-time basis.