From left, Seth Schorr, CEO of the Downtown Grand, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, former Mayor Oscar Goodman and Bill Doak, first vice president at CIM Group, cut a ribbon during an official opening ceremony for the Downtown Grand in downtown Las Vegas Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013.
Friday, Nov. 18, 2016 | 4:11 p.m.
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The Downtown Grand is now taking bets on e-sports—becoming the first casino in the U.S. to do so — only two days after Nevada’s Gaming Policy Committee recommended that the state’s regulators begin working to allow the practice in Nevada.
Through William Hill, the U.K.-based company that manages the casino’s sports book, the Grand is now taking bets on the finals of the 2016 League of Legends Intel Extreme Masters Season XI e-sports event in Oakland, Calif, on Saturday and Sunday.
“Right now it’s happening,” Downtown Grand CEO Seth Schorr said. “Someone could come down and bet on winner of the final match of the Intel Extreme Masters, a major tournament taking place in Oakland.” Schorr said his sports book started taking bets at about noon today.
The betting is happening under what as known as Regulation 21.120, which allows “wagers on events other than a horse race, greyhound race or athletic events.” Under the approval, any licensed sports book in Nevada can take bets on the event.
On Wednesday, A.G. Burnett, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said new regulations could be drawn up in a matter of months, but if someone wanted to take bets now, they could under the 21.120 rule.
Past examples of 21.120 events include betting on who might win the Heisman Trophy, the World Series of Poker Main Event and the Cy Young Award.
Schorr said the Grand will be holding a viewing party to watch the event and attract more people to bet on it.
“It is a really big deal, actually,” he said. “We’re throwing a party on Sunday so people can come downtown to Grand and bet. The viewing party will be held from 10 a.m. to the end of the event. There will be food, drinks at the bar and people placing bets. “We’re also having a small tournament of our own.”
The Grand regularly hosts its own e-sports tournaments for its guests and others, and Schorr has long been one of the main proponents of incorporating e-sports into Nevada’s casino industry.
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