Esports Entertainment announced that it will be partnering with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. They will kick this off by hosting a two-day 256-player in-person tournament, the first sanctioned esports skill-based wagering event in the United States.
This is also the first skill-based gaming event approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement where participants will be permitted to wager on themselves in each round of the event.
The companies have teamed up and created a tournament on January 22 and 23, 2022 that will launch LANDuel and be the springboard for more esports betting events and permanent installations in the future at the casino and hotel venue.
"We are extremely excited to partner with one of the top global hotel and casino venues to kickstart the world of regulated peer to peer wagering in esports," said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. "This partnership and event are a tremendous accomplishment for our brand and creates a wide variety of opportunities for our groups to explore more innovative esports events."
Players competing in the event will check-in and create a LANDuel account. Once they're assigned to a PC, they will begin tournament play. Then they can place bets on their own matches within the tournament to make their way to the finals.
The event space will also feature a dedicated set of PCs for non-tournament participants to compete and will allow eligible tournament spectators or casino guests the ability to side-wager in their own matches outside of the tournament. The event will include a showcase stage for the tournament with spectator seating.
"We are extremely proud to offer a one-of-a-kind e-sports wagering experience in partnership with EEG," said Joe Lupo, President of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. "We are confident that this innovative and highly regulated partnership will prove to be a success, contributing to our market-leading gaming offerings."
