Although it isn’t legal in Nevada, yet, UNLV announced it is studying eSports and its potential regulation in the state.
The International Gaming Institute at UNLV works closely with state gaming regulators to study current trends and create new knowledge that helps to shape gaming regulations.
With many casino operators looking to include eSports among its gaming offerings to lure more Millennial-age visitors to Las Vegas, the gaming institute has created an eSports lab to generate new knowledge about the growing phenomenon.
UNLV Hospitality Lab and eSports Lab Director Robert Rippee says eSports is a hot topic among casino executives and generally viewed as one of the greatest tools for luring Millennials to Las Vegas.
At the university’s eSports Lab, Rippee says students will learn about eSports games, player and fan behavior, and help to determine how best to effectively reach Millennials via marketing.
Ultimately, the university is looking to help shape future regulation of eSports, which many casino operators view as a strong lure for Millennials.
Millennials already are the single most populous age group in the United States and expected to reach a total population of 81 million by 2036, according to the Pew Center.
Unfortunately for casinos, which largely draw their profits from slots play, Millennials don’t like playing slots as much as prior generations, and instead prefer more interactive and immersive experiences offered via online gaming and eSports.
That has state gaming regulators scrambling to learn more about eSports in order to legalize it and make Las Vegas a global Mecca for the eSports industry and its hundreds of millions of fans worldwide.
With UNLV’s help, they will make it happen.
