A non-profit organization called the Nevada Esports Alliance (NVEA) officially launched last week. The alliance is co-founded by Seth Schorr. Schorr is the CEO of Fifth Street Gaming, a casino management company in Las Vegas. He is also the director the new esports arena Millenial Esports that we covered here, as well as the CEO of the Downtown Grand. The purpose of this alliance is to promote Nevada, and Vegas in particular, as a global hub for the esports industry to operate in. Naturally, with his ties to casinos, we can expect to see advancements towards legalized betting on esports as well.
Why Vegas Casinos are Suddenly Interested in Esports
“Resort operators are looking for ways to remain relevant and speak to the up-and-coming generation,” Schorr explained in a recent interview. “Esports is one of the most important platforms to speak to millennials and create experiences that will drive continued visitation to our state.”
The NVEA’s other founders include Brett Abarbanel of UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, Jennifer Roberts of UNLV’s International Center for Gaming Regulation, and Chris Grove of Narus Advisors.
“Esports has had significant global impact,” Abarbanel said. “We’re aiming to foster Nevada’s role in this domain by bringing together stakeholders from all areas of esports, including industry, regulator and academic representatives.”
Las Vegas is Going “All-In” on Esports
According to a press release that announced the NVEA’s launch, Vegas is scheduled to host more than a dozen esports events this year, attracting over 100,000 visitors to the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas. Schorr is no stranger to esports, and we can expect to see great things from the NVEA.
This past November at IEM Oakland, William Hill was the first to take legal bets on esports at Schorr’s Downtown Grand. William Hill will again be taking bets for DreamHack Las Vegas. With the creation of this organization, as well as Governor Sandoval’s efforts to make Las Vegas a global esports hub, we can expect to see huge growth for Las Vegas esports in the years to come.