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One of the fastest-growing sectors in the American entertainment industry, esports has surpassed expansion milestones for years now. The latest expansion trend, however, seems to be in the esports betting scene.
A First in the Esports Landscape
To that end, the Las Vegas-based gambling outfit GameCo, earlier this week, announced the establishment of America’s first-ever esports dedicated sportsbook. The particulars of this move involve Colorado’s Sky Ute Casino Resort and betting solutions company US Bookmaking.
Talking up this pioneering achievement, GameCo founder and CEO Blaine Graboyes said:
“GameCo is proud to work with US Bookmaking and Sky Ute to continue moving the industry forward by providing the first-ever dedicated esports book in the US. We are thrilled to provide a comprehensive solution that enhances the esports betting industry for our Colorado players wherever and whenever they want to play, and we’re looking forward to bringing these kinds of innovations to additional US markets soon.”
Technical Details of the Esports Betting Platform
The platform will be physically available from digital portals that will be installed at the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio, Colorado. Online, the platform will be available to anyone over 18 years old, located in the state, and logging through their desktop, smartphone, tablet, or other supported internet-enabled mobile devices.
Partnerships are crucial to any business’s success, and that paradigm also applies to esports betting operators. To that end, GameCo plans to lean on its already existing collaborations with entertainment brands 10Star, GRID, and Askott Entertainment. By leveraging the combined prowess of Askott’s Chameleon Gaming platform, 10Star’s trading solutions, and GRID’s data solutions, these brands will help supplement its efforts on the marketing and technical product deployment fronts.
Speaking on the potential of this new initiative, Sky Ute’s Assistant General Manager Travis Garlick Commented:
“Esports mobile betting has always been on the horizon, and now the Sky Ute Casino Resort is excited to enter the arena. In conjunction with Sky Ute Casino’s service providers, US Bookmaking, and GameCo, Sky Ute selected these associates to provide a unique customer experience that will infuse the world of esports with the excitement of the casino industry.”
Initially, the platform was first revealed to the public in August 2020 at an event held by GameCo’s esports-focused brand, iGameCO.
In terms of regulation, the initiative will be overseen by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC). This will ensure complete transparency, sustained integrity, and high service quality across all gambling activities.
It’s no coincidence the new esports betting provider will be located in the Southwestern state of Colorado. The Centennial State is one of the few in the country where esports betting is permitted. Importantly, though, new operators must be approved by a sanctioned sports governing body. For Colorado, that body is ESIC.
Bringing Esports Wagering to the Mainstream
While esports has enjoyed years in the entertainment spotlight, wagering on esports events has been neither easy nor accessible. Only a handful of platforms (like SickOdds) host esports odds, and even fewer allow bettors to place wagers on their selected tournaments.
This move should trigger a massive scale expansion into esports betting in states where the activity is allowed. Propelled by this expansion, online operators might allow for country-wide betting to US residents in a few years.