Nevada Allows CS:GO Wagering for ESL Pro League
Published: Mar 26, 2020 - Last Updated: Oct 13, 2021
The state of Nevada, has recently announced that it will allow licensed operators to start accepting bets on one of CS:GO’s most important leagues of the year: ESL Pro League Season 11.
The move was anticipated by some, simply because of the current circumstances we find ourselves in. Given that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is shutting down almost every major traditional sport, bookmakers are starting to move in aggressively into esports. It is one of the few industries that still has the capacity to function, at least to some degree.
Behind the Scenes
The current crisis is expected to last for at least 3 months. However, experts say that 12-18 months is a perfectly realistic duration unless a reliable cure is found. In order to stay afloat, everyone who used to be involved in sports is now learning more about esports. The betting lobby is on the move as well, trying to secure more options for the gambling industry in the months and possibly years ahead.
As weeks go by, we should expect bigger and bigger announcements regarding the US market and other places as well. Everyone who used to almost exclusively rely on traditional sports will now need to adapt on short notice to a shifting landscape and redraw their map. The world is getting more digital than ever, in an attempt to follow the social distancing principle, the focus is switching from sports to esports.
See also: Best CSGO betting sites
The importance of CS:GO within esports
CS:GO or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular esports in the world. It consists of millions of active players, and one of the most prolific professional scenes in the industry. In 2019 alone, some 50 gaming tournaments with prize pools ranging from $50,000 to $1,000,000 took place, providing viewers with a lot of great matches to watch and bet on.
The Counter-Strike series has been around for more than 20 years. The gaming title has competitive stability and a massive fan base. Even though the game series itself may not have more than 10-20 million active players at the moment. Additionally, an estimated 50-100 million people played the game at least once in their life. They also understand it well enough to be able to watch professional tournaments and bet on them.
Specifics of the Nevada Agreement
Thanks to the new rules, CS:GO bettors from the state of Nevada will be able to place several types of bets on ESL Pro League Season 11: head-to-head, the match winners and the overall tournament winner. The full decision by the Nevada Gaming Control Board can be found here.
ESL Pro League Season 11 is a top tier competition in competitive CS:GO. One of its main advantages at a time like this is that it’s an entirely online event. Naturally, no adjustments were needed except for one thing: the cancellation of the LAN Finals. Usually, the league was taking place online for a number of weeks, in regions like Europe and North America. In the end, the best teams qualified for Playoffs, which are a big tournament held in front of thousands of spectators. This year, we’ll only have the online leagues. But even that is offering plenty of action for eager esports viewers and bettors.
