New Jersey Accepted Its First LoL Championship Bets; What’s Next?

• The League of Legends World Championships finals were last Sunday.
• New Jersey sportsbooks took esports bets for the very first time.
• It is unclear if New Jersey sportsbooks will take more action on esports.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – New Jersey sportsbooks took esports bets for the very first time last Thursday.

This past Sunday, the League of Legends World Championship finals took place. G2 Esports took on FunPlus Phoenix in the final matches. In the end, it was FunPlus Phoenix that ended up winning the tournament.

Before the results of the tournaments, bets started pouring in. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) approved the esports event for betting. This is the first esports event approved by the NJDGE. Roar Digital took bets on the event via BetMGM, FanDuel, 888sport, Resorts Digital, and Unibet. Roar Digital received enough bets that they want to take more esports bets.

“We are very bullish on the future of esports betting, not just in New Jersey but around the globe, and are working with all relevant regulators on the best path forward,” said David Main, head of US Sports Trading at Roar Digital. “Esports is the fastest-growing spectator sport in the world — the sky’s the limit for its betting appeal, although again, regulatory uncertainty is definitely a near-term consideration. Certainly, for some, esports already draws as much passion as traditional sports, and we expect wagering interest to continue to grow in the years ahead as esports enters the mainstream.

Even though Roar Digital wants more esports betting, it is unclear if that will happen. The League of Legends World Championship finals was the first event approved by the NJDGE. This event is considered to be one of the biggest esports events of the year. It is unclear whether more esports bets will be approved by the NJDGE in the future.

With New Jersey allowing for esports betting, more states could follow suit. After all, esports is anticipated to become a $1 billion industry by the end of 2019.

Esports has a wide range of appeal with fans being as loyal as traditional sports fans. Esports will continue to grow and more people will want to bet on big events. It is possible that because of the growth of esports, lawmakers may allow for more esports betting to take place.

News tags: 888sport | Atlantic City | BetMGM | FanDuel | FunPlus Phoenix | G2 Esports | League of Legends | New Jersey | New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement | Resorts Digital | Roar Digital | Unibet