First-Ever Madden Esports Betting Event in the US
Atlantic City is a coastal resort city that’s well known for its beautiful beaches, the fresh sea air, and lots of casinos. For a gambling aficionado, Atlantic City is one of the first stops on any journey.
This is why it’s not a surprise to hear that the first-ever Madden esports betting event in the US was held here. The event was organised by the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in partnership with LANDuel, the skill-based wagering site owned by Esports Entertainment Group (EEG).
More than 290 gamers competed in the Madden tournament and each participant was able to place bets on themselves via LANDuel. Each player’s LANDuel account was credited with $25, which they were able to use to legally bet on themselves against other opponents in the tournament.
Major Step for Esports Betting
The Madden esports betting tournament was a huge success. The fans were happy to see a $9,000 prize pool, a good portion of which was claimed by the winner, Jaybird. This competitive Madden player won first place and left home $3,600 richer.
But more importantly, this event had incredible significance for the future of esports betting as a whole. It gave the Hard Rock casino, Esports Entertainment Group, and other betting companies who were watching some really valuable data and key insight into their target demographic.
The EEG CEO, Grant Johnson, said the following:
This is a demographic that casinos covet. They’re not currently getting this demographic, and part of the reason is the casinos don’t have a product that the younger gamer wants to play. There’s revenue off the rake of each of the wagers, but the bigger economic picture is when these people come into your place to game, they’re going to buy food, going to stay, maybe see a show, buy a drink.
EEG embraces its gambling ambitions and they plan to use the success of this event as a stepping stone for grander plans. EEG was already granted an online esports gambling license by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement in January. And while LANDuel doesn’t require a gambling license, events like this one will still have to be held in a licensed environment.
Mr Johnson plans to use the data from this esports betting event and take it a step further.
After this event, we will be going back to the pro teams with data and say you want to be involved in these events. Whether it’s a pro team sponsored event in Atlantic City or New Jersey or any other jurisdictions that have large casinos. Or does the team itself want to have a Madden event pregame? The NFL I believe, is going to get behind a Madden league, just like the NBA got behind the 2K league. It’s coming.
EEG are confident in their plan, and so is Hard Rock Atlantic City. They have already made plans to add a permanent space to host esports betting events in the future.
All Made Possible with LANDuel
While the Madden esports betting event was held in Atlantic City in a major Hard Rock casino, the most important aspect of it was handled by EEG’s LANDuel Platform. Without them, this wouldn’t have been possible.
LANDuel have now gained a significant advantage and are pushing ahead of other competitors such as Unikrn Umode. Everything they’ve done so far, including the New Jersey licence and the data collected from this Madden tournament, will ensure they stay ahead of the game and potentially reshape the esports betting landscape in a few years.
We might even see more events like the Madden one in the future. Electronic Arts will certainly see the potential here, and perhaps there will be a FIFA esports betting event soon. EEG can make it happen!