In recent years, New Jersey lawmakers and gaming authorities have taken steps to establish the state as a major hub for the Esports industry in the United States. In 2021, the legislature amended New Jersey’s sports betting law to recognize Esports tournaments approved by the Division of Gaming Enforcement (“DGE”) as a type of “sporting event” upon which licensed sportsbooks can accept wagers. The 2021 amendment allowed the state’s retail and online/mobile sportsbooks to bring Esports wagering into the fold of their established sports betting operations. Earlier this year, the DGE also approved Esports Entertainment Group’s Esports-only online/mobile betting platform, Vie, which operates as an online/mobile sportsbook partner of Bally’s Atlantic City. continue reading
Esports Archives
PA House Introduces Esports Betting Legislation
On June 8, 2021, legislation was introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives that would legalize esports betting statewide. Pennsylvania’s sports wagering statute, as currently written, permits wagering on any “sporting event,” a term which is defined to mean “a professional or collegiate sports or athletic event or a motor race event.” See 4 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 13C01. There is no mention of esports. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has opined that because esports is not explicitly listed among the “sporting events” upon which wagering is permitted, the Board does not have the authority to allow esports betting. continue reading