As it stands, there are currently 21 states that allow legal sports betting.
Of those 21 states, there are 17 that have implemented a form of legal sports betting. When the pandemic was at its climax, the states were losing out on the tax revenue that was generated by professional sports and the best sports betting sites. While sports did come back, the future is unclear on when some of these seasons will resume activity, especially as we enter the colder months in American sports.
Moving forward, we can likely assume that we will see more states allow the use of betting on eSports until live sports are back in full motion. Since there are no fans in attendance, this would be a great way to attract more interest in live sports. There are a few states that have already begun this adventure, specifically the states of New Jersey and Nevada.
New Jersey
When Nevada put their motion into action, it was a matter of time before more states allowed the use of betting on eSports until live sports were back in full swing. NJ sports betting is trending towards becoming the second state too long esports gambling.
The value of profits is there. We are seeing major retail gambling entities like MGM become the official entertainment partner of Major League Baseball. That’s what makes the prospect of esports so exciting for those who follow the market. Various games are rising to form their leagues, which means the potential for wagers could rise as well. Games like Madden and FIFA are like professional sports and could feature some of the same wagers. For now, it appears that New Jersey is eager to follow that suit.
Nevada
The New Jersey facts are from the foundation that Nevada laid down. Before the pandemic even hit, the industry surpassed $1 billion in 2019. With the industry rising, when live sports took a hit, Nevada allows patrons to make bets on esports. It was only a matter of time before other states began to fall in line.
Nevada took the first stand towards online gambling on video games. Vegas allowed sportsbooks to take wagers on Counter-Strike after the NBA shut down. The first major competitive season that was highly wagered on was Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. There is an entire league, season, and championship put in place.
The Rest
There are online casinos legal in the states of California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Out of this pool, West Virginia is the only state that allows gambling on video games.
Tennessee is not considered a friendly gambling state. Legal betting in Tennessee is limited to a state-wide lottery, regional lotteries, and a few horse tracks. However, legal betting on esports games is considered legal. It’s a head-scratcher, but it’s the last of the four states that legalized betting on esports. More states are likely to come, but it’s a question of when?
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