Esports Entertainment Group, an esports and online gambling company, on Friday said it has partnered with Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company, a resort, entertainment and media company for professional football and owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls.
The two parties said their agreement will bring esports to theHall of Fame Village destination in Canton, Ohio.
EEG is the official esports provider for the Village and will operate a Helix eSports entertainment centeras part of the retail and entertainment offerings at the destination, joining Topgolf Swing Suites and Don Shula’s, among others.
The EEG Esports Complex at the Destination will feature 80 high-end PCs, both next-generation console systems (Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5) as well as other leading gaming and computing equipment. It will be open for casual gameplay, allowing the destination’s guests to enjoy spontaneous gaming sessions in addition to future planned tournaments and events. Additionally, there will be capacity for community and educational events meant to empower the next generation of gamers with equitable access to technology and STEM education.
This new location, which is slated to open in mid-2022, will serve as a practice, competition and tournament space for a variety of esports activities and events and will allow HOFV to benefit from the strong demand for esports worldwide, EEG said.
The new partnership also allows for the consideration of additional growth in several other business lines, the companies said, including the potential for esports betting and fantasy sports betting as legislators continue to entertain the opportunity to legalize sports betting within Ohio over the next few months.
“With the popularity of esports and its continued upward trajectory, we are thrilled to partner with the highly respected EEG to offer fans a new state-of-the-art facility at the Village,” Michael Crawford, president and CEO of HOFV, said in a statement. “Having an EEG-powered esports complex as part of our development on campus adds another compelling opportunity for gaming enthusiasts and guests to engage in virtual environments as well as offering us the ability to draw in fans from all over the world – both in person and virtually – providing us with strategic growth opportunities within our company’s gaming vertical.”
Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, added, “We are excited to work with HOFV to bring esports to the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls. This partnership places our brand in front of professional football fans globally and will place a Helix eSports center right in Canton. It also aligns extremely well with our recent strategic push into Ohio, which gained momentum in recent months through our partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as last month’s testimony in front of the Ohio State Senate Select Committee on Gaming by our CFO Dan Marks and VP of Strategy Jeff Cohen as advocates for the esports industry.”
