eSports in the US – quick review
Sixteen states have already allowed sports betting on their territories, and six have already set up betting operations. New Jersey, which had a previous ban on sports gambling, now received the possibility to revive Atlantic City casinos and, perhaps, the rest of the state, and slowly becomes a sports betting center of the US.
What to expect from eSports, and will it be legalized all over the country? Let’s take a look at how the government, sports leagues, bookmakers, and fans expect to see sports betting in the future.
Why Sports Leagues Are for Legalized Gambling?
NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL are the four main sports leagues within the US, and these organizations were against sports betting at all previously. However, with the inevitable existence of eSports illegal gambling and its corresponding legalization, the leagues had to come up with the response. This reaction included the ways they can make use of sports betting and split the revenue.
One of the primary sources of income for sports leagues is not in-stadium betting, as you may assume, but ads. Advertising bought by betting operators is expected to make the most substantial proportion of the sports leagues’ income. Moreover, gambling-related sponsorship could also add to the development of the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, and such agreements are already in progress.
For example, the NFL has recently signed a contract with MGM Resorts, making the latter an official sports betting partner. Other leagues are expected to cooperate with betting services as well, through TV and app ads, sponsorship, and merchandise.
Why Does the USA Want to Legalize Sports Betting?
For states, sports betting can be a tremendous additional source of income. The demand for sports betting was and will always be. Therefore, instead of fighting against the means of placing wagers, the government is moving towards legalized, supervised, and safe ways of sports betting.
Americans illegally spent millions of dollars on eSports last year, mostly through offshore betting websites or illegal bookmakers. This amount of money could instead go for good, so no wonder that the government is working towards providing people with legitimate ways of putting their wagers.
Therefore, it is expected from all the states to legalize sports betting with time and establishing a unified regulation system that will allow the government to control and oversee this gambling industry.
Fans Want to Gamble Legally
According to Forbes, legal sports betting is changing the fan experience. There’s no need to risk gambling on a suspicious website when you can do it on a legal, well-designed, and secure service.
Many agree that with legitimate services, they will be able to enjoy eSports even more, not worrying about their data protection and payoffs. The legalization won’t make thousands of new people gambling, but those who already do it will be able to place wagers more conveniently.
What Does It Mean for Everyone?
With $150 million spent by gamblers on eSports, only $4.9 were spent legally. That poses a huge problem for states that could benefit from the legalization and development of the eSports industry. That’s why the government has been working on the corresponding legal amendments.
Besides the leagues themselves and stakeholders interested in the legalization of sports betting all over the country, online casino operators also have a significant influence on eSports gambling at the state level. It is essential to understand that all the parties have a shared, mutual interest in the successful legalization of sports betting in the US.
If you want to see how eSports betting services work, you can check out 888sports. It is a well-designed and easy-to-use site that already accepts sports betting all around the world. 888sports is known as one of the most dynamic and innovative online betting companies, so if you haven’t tried sports betting on the web before, check out this top-level service.
Mobile Devices Are Everything
More and more gamblers use their mobile devices to place wagers, and in-stadium sports betting has been developing tremendously in the states where mobile gambling is allowed. Our generation consumes more and more content from their smartphones, and if a service is not mobile-friendly, the chances are that it will lose a significant amount of potential customers. That’s why the question of legalization of mobile betting pops up, too.
Experts project that with the legalization of eSports gambling, the allowance of mobile betting will come, as well. Each trustworthy website will provide a convenient-to-use application where players will be able to bet on their favorite teams in a few clicks.
Moreover, such apps will be available for wearables, making tracking your progress even easier. With the legalization of sports gambling all over the US, the corresponding tech will appear shortly.
Technologies and Trends in eSports to Expect in 2020 and Beyond
With the rise of sports gambling, software companies will put effort into the enhanced experience of both gamblers and sports fans. Here are the advancements to expect with the legalization and widespread of eSports gambling:
- Almost all sports bettings will be held online so that every reliable bookmaker will provide a betting app;
- The leading software companies will emerge as bookmaking giants;
- Specially developed bots will help players to place their wagers quicker and advise them on wagering decisions;
- Betting robots will receive information and make predictions based on motion-tracking cameras on the stadium, microchips on players’ clothes, and athlete biometric data.
Final Remarks
There’s no doubt that sports betting, especially mobile one, will be legalized all over the US, and the future of eSports seems bright. Although some states, such as Nevada, have already legalized sports gambling and developed the corresponding regulations for the industry, others still have a long way to go.
The development of sports betting is inevitable, and the fans’ experience will only improve with time, thanks to the legalization and technology advancements in the sports gambling field. We can say that nowadays, eSports evolves from illegal to a full-right, legitimate activity to the benefits of all the parties involved.