The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has given approval for licensed operators to begin accepting wagers on the ESL Pro League Season, an esports competition. This decision gives Nevada bettors the ability to place wagers on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) competition’s ESL Pro League Season 11: North America series.
The NGCB issued a one-page statement on March 25 granting the authorization. This specifically gave consumers the right to place wagers on head-to-head matches, the winner of each match, and the overall season winner. Wagers that deviate from one of these three criteria require approval before bets can be accepted.
In addition, all operators who wish to offer these types of wagers are required to contact the NGCB’s Enforcement Division to inform them of which events they will be offering wagers.
In-play betting is not allowed, so all wagers must be taken prior to the start of each match. Operators will be responsible for setting their own odds for each match or event.
This move comes as esports takes center stage in the sports betting world, and CS:GO plays a huge role in that. The Home Sweet Home tournament was announced on March 25, and will be a series of events that will include a $320,000 total prize pool.
If you’re unfamiliar with CS:GO but might want to bet on it, the concept for the game is fairly simple. A team of terrorists compete against a team of counter-terrorists in a first-person shooter multiplayer match, with the goal of eliminating their oponents or completing a goal, like setting or defusing a bomb.
With all of the major sports league shut down and most professional events closed in the U.S., Europe and other parts of the globe, many gamblers have turned to obscure sports leagues and events to bet. This has even included wagering on events such as marble racing, sign spinning, and stone skipping.
