Las Vegas is playing host to two major eSports industry events next month. First up, is the inaugural Casino eSport Conference to be held from Sept. 7 – 8 which will be followed by Gameacon, a video gaming convention planned for Sept. 9 – 10.
The first Casino eSports Conference is aimed at bringing together the casino industry and various stakeholders from eSports such as eSports teams, eSports hardware suppliers, tournament organizers, publishers, streaming companies and game makers.
In a statement, Ben Fox of GAC Events, a subsidiary of Fox Marketing said,
We’re entering a new era of esports gaming, and it’s becoming clear that the casino industry should find a way to incorporate esports into future casino models. The CEC will provide a critical introduction between casino industry executives and eSports industry professionals and related millennial gaming products
The keynote speaker for CEC will be Karl Bennison, chief of the Nevada Gaming Board’s enforcement division. The Game Arts Conference also known as Gameacon is held biannually and acts an incubator for new games. It was primarily created to allow fans to meet other fans as well as their favorite players. Fox added that along with celebrating creativity and artistry, it also allowed the showcasing of interesting new products.
Esports Arena
All those attending CEC are being encouraged to attend the Gameacon as well. Fox pointed out that this would allow them to understand the environment which the current generation enjoys most.
Fox Marketing which has been working with the casino industry for over 20 years has recently gained deeper understanding of the eSports market. Fox stated that ultimately eSports needs to join the casino market but that cannot happen without each market making an effort to understand the other’s culture, demographics and legal nuances.
The increasing interest in integrating the two has come about as casinos in Nevada look towards introducing betting on eSports tournaments as a part of their offering. The eSports industry was recently legalized in the state and the new offering is an attempt by the casinos to attract the new generation to gaming.
MGM Resorts International recently entered into a partnership with Allied eSports to develop the first permanent venue for eSports on the Strip. Scheduled to open in 2018 at the Luxor Hotel and Casino (video above), the center will have a competition stage plus daily gaming stations and a LED video wall. One such eSports venue is already operational in downtown Las Vegas.
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