As of this Wednesday, May 6th, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has approved betting on the upcoming DreamHack Masters Spring eSports event. As the Coronavirus has canceled many sports events, more and more attention has been drawn to eSports and its virtual capabilities, with even professional NASCAR drivers participating in an iRacing eSports tournament.
For the Nevada Gaming Control Board to approve betting on DreamHack Masters Spring is a big deal, as it lends another level of legitimacy to eSports which was previously lacking. That said, betting exemptions have been offered by Nevada on many video games as of late, indicating a shift in mentality on this subject.
Of course, the gambling opportunity is not without its restrictions, and those wishing to participate will need to read and understand the rules thoroughly, keeping in mind that they are set in place to protect all parties involved. For those unaware, DreamHack Masters is a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event.
Unsurprisingly, DreamHack Masters will be held digitally this time around, and begins on the 19th of May. Following the approval, licensed sportsbooks will offer three types of bets: head to head, match winner, and overall winner. Other types of bets can be offered by licensed sportsbooks, but will need to be approved by the State of Nevada before going live. Additionally, the official rules of the event must be made available to any potential gambler before they can accept a wager, which should help to make sure that everyone is in full understanding of the wager.
Betting during a match is strictly forbidden, however, and people must stop stating wagers on a match after it has started. While the restrictions may be somewhat harsh, they are no harsher than betting on standard sports. Furthermore, although the added attention placed on eSports at the moment is likely due to the coronavirus' impact on standard sporting events, it is likely that it won't lose too much momentum after sporting events resume. Approvals like this are also unlikely to be redacted, meaning this could start a new trend for eSports.
For those wishing to watch or bet on the DreamHack Masters Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, it begins on May 19th and will be live-streamed on the DreamHackCS Twitch channel. From the DreamHack website, scroll down until finding the large "Follow the Stream" button underneath the countdown to the event.
DreamHack Masters Spring starts on May 19th.
Source: eSports Insider