The Nevada Gaming Control Board has approved wagers on the 2020 Counter-Strike – ESL: Meisterschaft, the German championship for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).
Players will be able to place bets on head-to-head winners, winners of each match and the overall winner of the tournament.
In-play bets will not be permitted, while other pre-match wagers on the event will require a separate application and approval from the Gaming Control Board before they are accepted.
Sportsbooks who wish to offer wagers on the event must notify the Gaming Control Board’s enforcement division via email.
The ESL Meisterschaft, in which 12 teams compete, was founded in 2002 and is the oldest esports league still in existence. It is held three times per year – in the Spring, Summer and Winter – with Sprout winning the Winter 2019 edition.
The move follows the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s decision last week to accept wagers on the ESL Pro League’s North America series.
The expansion of legal esports betting comes after almost all global traditional sports were suspended due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
In February – the last full month before the suspension – Nevada sportsbooks took in revenue of $38.1m on a handle of $491.8m.