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Esports: Betting Opportunity or Niche Entertainment? In industry circles, the integration of esports and casinos is a hotly debated topic. Some analysts believe esports are the next big thing, and will lead to lucrative gaming partnerships. By Bill Sokolic
Pre-Covid, the Evo tournament packed the Mandalay Bay Events Center every year. This year’s event went virtual.
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ovid-19 put a crimp in the live Evo Championships this year at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Evo held a virtual competition, but there’s something about live action that can’t be matched by the online version. Hopefully next summer, if the joystick gods are kind, the live games will resume, bringing back esports stars and their scores of devoted fans. In the past, the Evo series often sold out at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and attracted thousands more to the property, according to Josh Swissman, founding partner with The Strategy Group in Las Vegas. “This shows that an esports tournament can be a big enough draw on its own to get people to Las Vegas to watch it in person,” he says. “Now imagine that same event with other add-on experiences to complement the tournament itself. Meet-and-greets with famous esports athletes, for example. These would represent additional ways for the hosting property to monetize this crowd, and better introduce the next generation of game players and gamblers to these resorts.” The future doesn’t necessarily belong to esports. But these games will have a seat at the table. 26 CASINO STYLE 2021
A Whole New Audience For the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, that seat was in an esports lounge that first opened in 2015. For several years—until Covid-19—the casino ran hundreds of cash tournaments in the lounge, and a William Hill sportsbook on property at the time accepted bets, the first time in esports history in the U.S., says Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and chairman of the Downtown Grand. Covid had an impact, he adds, but not all of it was negative. “It was very positive that during the lockdown, when traditional sports ceased, esports became a popular sport to take action on,” Schorr says. The interlude also exposed esports to whole a new audience. A year later, operators are focused on traditional sports, driving to acquire new markets and new customers as legal betting expands. As a result, esports have taken a back seat, Schorr says. “However, as we transition from the customer acquisition phase to the retention phase, I believe esports will be used by many sportsbooks to tap
