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This week in Esports: First legal wagers taken in Nevada, Twitch partner with TSM & C9 and inaugural awards night
Oliver Ring
The biggest news this week comes from Las Vegas, Nevada, where William Hill became the first sportsbook to take legal wager on esports. Other highlights include Twitch partnering with TSM and C9 and the inaugural eSports industry awards night.
William Hill first sportsbook to take legal wager on esports in Nevada
Last weekend, William Hill's sportsbook at the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas became the first venue in Nevada to legally accept wagers on esports.
The competition they took wagers on was IEM Oakland – where they accepted bets on the League of Legends half of the tournament.
It came days after the last meeting of the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee in 2016. Brian Sandoval, Governor of the committee said:
"This announcement is a major step toward ensuring Nevada becomes the e-sports capital of the world. By embracing this unique opportunity and incorporating innovation and technology into our gaming industry, we're expanding the potential of one of our oldest industries"
Twitch partner with TSM and Cloud9 to aid non-endemic sponsorship attraction
Twitch announced that they had partnered with two esports brands, Cloud9 and TSM to assist them in attracting non-endemic sponsors.
It means that for all C9 and TSM players, Twitch will become their exclusive streaming platform.
Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch said: "Our goal is to help introduce more sponsors into the space through broad reach that includes media and now sponsorships".
Best in esports recognised at inaugural awards night
The first "eSports Industry Awards" took place on Monday evening, with eighteen awards handed out.
The event was a great success, with MCV reporting that over 46,000 watched on Twitch over the course of the event.
The event was hosted at The Brewery and featured some of the best talent across the esports and gaming industry – with Julia Hardy and Jason Bradbury playing host. It also featured a games room showcasing Gears of War and a dance floor to boot.
For a full recap of winners – click here.
Esports Insider says: Another busy week of news, with the biggest news definitely coming from Nevada. The first legal wager on esports opens many a door for operators in a legal, regulated space and it's safe to say that Vegas has big plans for esports. As we previously commented – it's hard to say whether or not it will become a hub of esports but as long as they do it right – it wouldn't be a bad thing to see more spectator arenas built there and more events held. It was great to see the best in esports awarded at the inaugural awards night. In other news, Twitch are looking to help teams attract non-endemic sponsorship. Only time will tell if it turns out to be a good move.
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