Strong interest for esports betting in New Jersey despite short notice from regulator
Industry believes the regulator took a very cautious approach to allow for betting on the League of Legends Championships
Esports betting in New Jersey received strong interest this weekend, according to local operators, despite late notice about the ability to take bets on the League of Legends Championships on Sunday.
A spokesperson from FanDuel said the operator saw strong performance in its opening weekend.
“Our biggest bet of the weekend was $550 taken on G2 and as we continue looking for more ways for our customers to play, we will continue to explore other markets for esports,” the firm said.
Kindred’s SVP sportsbook Jonathan Aiwazian said Unibet received several bets “despite very short notice to our players that it would be offered.”
“If the regulation allows more widespread betting on esports, we are ready to flip the switch and offer it to our players in New Jersey to meet the demand,” Aiwazian said.
However, some believe the ban was lifted with too short notice to market the product ahead of the event.
Maximum bets were restricted to $1,000 and no in-play markets were allowed as the regulator took a cautious approach in its first trial of esports betting.
“It was understandable as they look to gain knowledge and confidence, but hopefully we’ll see the scope of what’s permitted increase over time,” one industry stakeholder said.
TheScore CEO John Levy said the firm had chosen to focus on the core leagues that traditionally appeal to bettors.
“[However], we’re very excited by the success and popularity of our esports video content and the opportunities it presents for our gaming business moving forward,” Levy told EGR.
Only a handful of operators offered esports betting markets over the weekend, including betMGM, Borgata, FanDuel, DraftKings and Unibet.