The Nevada Gaming Policy Committee yesterday "directed the state’s gaming regulators to develop new sets of rules to oversee wagering on competitive video games known as e-sports," according to Richard Velotta of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Workshop meetings for public discussion could "start as early as next month, and casinos that choose to conduct e-sports wagering might be able to take bets by early next year." The committee also "agreed not to recommend any changes in law that would put daily fantasy sports on an easier track to operate in Nevada." The committee "determined that most of the rules are in place to conduct wagering on e-sports and it's only a matter of tweaking existing regulations to enable casinos to take bets on teams playing games like World of WarCraft." But, after two committee sessions, "no agreement was reached that would enable fantasy players the ability to participate in games sponsored by companies such as FanDuel and DraftKings." But after testimony from five e-sports experts yesterday, committee members "embraced moving ahead in what’s described as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the industry." Experts believe the level of illegal wagering on e-sports "could rise" to $23B by '20. They see it as an opportunity to "capture a demographic that has no interest playing slot machines, and there is revenue to be made on other amenities -- food and beverage, hotel rooms and nightclubs" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 11/17).
