The masses are now discovering the rise of esports that is taking the world by storm seemingly over night, and Las Vegas looks to be the main stage for esports in 2017 and for years to come. The Las Vegas esports scene seems to have no shortage in major tournaments this year and DreamHack Las Vegas began the excitement with an explosive “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” tournament at the MGM Feb 18 and 19. Below is a video of the highlights which will get the hearts pumping in the chests of all CS:GO gamers. For people newly interested in the rise of esports this will give a glimpse into how professional and exciting esports tournaments have become.
DreamHack Masters Highlights
The Rapid Growth of Las Vegas Esports
The time has long passed since journalists and media figures could respectably speculate over whether esports were just a short fad or whether esports pros were really as skilled and talented as traditional sports athletes. According to Kotaku.com the NBA finals in 2016 between the Cavaliers and the Warriors had a viewership of almost 31 million people, which was an all time high for the NBA finals. Despite this record breaking audience it did not match the outstanding 36 million fans who tuned in for the League of Legends finals between Koo Tigers and SK Telecom held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany. The esports industry has doubled in size over the last two years and the growth in popularity only looks to accelerate into 2017.
Legal Esports Gambling Commences
DreamHack Las Vegas is not just a recent esports tournament but also a historic event for Las Vegas esports because it will be known as the first Las Vegas esports tournament to legally accept bets. Although gambling on esports has grown into a huge industry around the world the US has stricter than average gambling laws leaving Americans in the dust on this rising trend. E-sportsbetting.org had this to say about the current state of gambling in the US:
To say that US gambling laws are not straightforward would be a massive understatement. Trying to figure them out requires a lot of patience and possibly a degree. To simplify it, online gambling is not legal in the US, but even that’s not entirely true. There are many companies operating legally in countries like Panama and Costa Rica, who believe that their close proximity to the US, and the fact that they’re operating legally within the confines of those countries, allows them to appeal to US players without breaking any laws. So far, they have gotten away with doing just that, but there is no telling how long that will last.
Although gambling on esports remains out of reach for most US citizens, consider yourself lucky if you are a Nevada resent because as of DreamHack Las Vegas the doors have been opened to Nevadans to join in on the fun.