Las Vegas sports book to take first-ever wagers on e-sports

By RICHARD N. VELOTTA LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

8 years ago

Steven Linakis, right, and Edgar Briangas, compete in the Street Fighter V tournament at the Downtown Underground e-sports lounge at Downtown Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Friday, June 3, 2016. (Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Edgar Briangas, left, and Angel Trejo compete in the Street Fighter V tournament at the Downtown Underground e-sports lounge at Downtown Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Friday, June 3, 2016. (Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Ashton Beliveau, left, and Steven Linakis, second from left, compete in the Street Fighter V tournament at the Downtown Underground e-sports lounge at Downtown Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Friday, June 3, 2016. (Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A Las Vegas sports book will take the first-ever wagers on an e-sports competition this weekend thanks to a quick administrative approval by the chairman of the state Gaming Control Board.

Bettors at the William Hill Sports Book at the Downtown Grand will be able to wager on six video-game teams competing in the League of Legends tournament Saturday and Sunday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett said he signed the administrative order authorizing betting Friday morning.

Burnett and proponents of e-gaming met Wednesday with Gov. Brian Sandoval and his Gaming Policy Committee and speculated that the start of e-gaming wagering was near, but it wasn’t until Friday that the details were worked out.

“This announcement is a major step toward ensuring Nevada becomes the e-sports capital of the world,” Sandoval said in a release.

“By embracing this unique opportunity and incorporating innovation and technology into our gaming industry, we’re expanding the potential of one of our oldest industries. Representatives from William Hill and Downtown Grand have been active partners with the Gaming Policy Committee as we examined e-sports wagering in the state of Nevada.”

Team SoloMid opened as the favorite in the competition at +110 with Longzhu at +160, Flash Wolves at 4-1, Unicorns of Love at 10-1, INTZ e-Sports at 60-1 and The Chiefs Esports at 100-1.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.