Gambling On Video Games: The Global Esports Betting Market And The Dawn Of Legalized Esports Gambling In The United States

Authors

Jake Bland, University of Miami School of Law

Abstract

This Note compares eSports gambling regulations in the United States with regulations implemented in various foreign countries. eSports is a rapidly growing form of sport competition centered around video games. Video games have been a widely popular form of entertainment spanning the globe for many years. However, treating video games as a professional sport and form of monetized competition is a very recent phenomenon in the global mainstream market. Like traditional sports such as football and basketball, eSports have garnered significant attention in the gambling market. Sports betting has long been prevalent in the underworld of the United States, but the recent Supreme Court repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) marked a historical development in legalized American sports gambling. This repeal has resulted in the legalization of betting for traditional sports in many jurisdictions; however, some states have been hesitant to also legalize eSports betting. As individual states continue paving the road to legalized and regulated sports betting, they should consider eSports gambling regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions like Isle of Man, the United Kingdom and South Korea as guidelines before adopting their own eSports wagering laws and regulations

Recommended Citation

Jake Bland, Gambling On Video Games: The Global Esports Betting Market And The Dawn Of Legalized Esports Gambling In The United States, 29 U. MIA Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. 1 (2022)
Available at: https://repository.law.miami.edu/umiclr/vol29/iss2/3