4 esports regulations to watch for in 2018

The rapid growth of the esports industry has increased the potential for corruption, match-fixing, doping, and other undesirable or illegal activities. Increased regulation is necessary for esports to maintain its legitimacy. Here are four regulatory pushes we might see more of this year:

Regulated esports betting is the path to legitimacy

The United States Supreme Court’s impending decision regarding the legitimacy of the federal ban on sports betting carries massive implications for traditional sports and esports. If the court repeals or alters the federal ban, each state must decide whether to allow sports betting and establish its own regulatory framework. In Nevada, one of the few states exempted from the federal ban and the nexus of legal sports betting in the U.S., esports currently falls outside of the state’s sports betting structure and special legislation had to be enacted to allow legal gambling on esports. To provide sufficient regulation, states should include esports within their independent regulatory frameworks.