Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

Wednesday 9 august 2017 FEATURE
A32

Casinos embrace esports even as they work to understand it

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP)
— Casinos are slowly em-
bracing competitive video
game tournaments as a
way to help their bottom
lines, but the money is
coming from renting hotel
rooms to the young play-
ers and selling them food
and drinks, not from turning
them into gamblers.
Like most other ways gam-
bling halls have tried to at-
tract millennials and their
disposable income, it hasn’t
been easy. Caesars En-
tertainment was first in the
nation to adopt skill-based
slot machines to woo mil-
lennials in Atlantic City, but
bailed on them after a few
months when the response
was underwhelming. Other
Atlantic City casinos still use
them, however.
Competitive video game
tournaments, known as es- In this March 31, 2017 photo, video game players compete against one another in an esports tournament at Caesars casino in
ports, are a growing indus- Atlantic City, N.J.
try around the world. The Associated Press
fast-paced action, vivid ers could be cultivated Vegas, and that was the he’s three years away from competition, “We’re just
graphics and often violent to embrace casinos for first time I went to a ca- gambling legally. But it’s here to shoot our guns.”
on-screen action is catnip video game competitions sino, so ever since then, something he’d like to try Wall Street sees growth
to millennials, the audience the way their parents and I’ve been gambling quite then. “I love Atlantic City so potential in esports. De-
casinos are targeting as grandparents went there a bit,” he said, listing black- in a few years I would defi- loitte Global pegged the
their core slot players grow to play slot machines. jack and roulette as favor- nitely come back and ex- worldwide esports market
old and die. Gambling requires discre- ites. Alec Collins, of Pied- perience the casino a little last year at $500 million, up
But it’s been difficult to tionary income and free mont, South Carolina, who bit,” he said. from $400 million in 2015,
move them from the video time, things that people goes by the competitive Until then, he added, re- and estimated the industry
console to the craps table. starting their careers or name Shock, is only 18, so ferring to the video game has a global in-person or
“Everybody’s still trying to families may not have in online audience of nearly
figure out: How do you abundance, said David 150 million people a year.
make this appealing for Schwartz, director of the Newzoo, a company fol-
the consumer and make Center for Gaming Re- lowing the esports market,
sense for the business? How search at the University of predicted in a report that
do we all profit from this?” Nevada-Las Vegas. esports will generate nearly
said Kevin Ortzman, Atlan- “The big question is wheth- $700 million this year, in-
tic City regional president er people who are 40 or cluding media rights, ticket
for Caesars Entertainment, 20 now will begin to play and merchandise sales,
which owns three casinos casino games as they get brand partnerships and
in the city. older,” Schwartz said. “This game maker investments.
The company in March isn’t a given.” The company projects that
hosted an esports tourna- Schwartz agreed the real figure will surpass the $1.5
ment at Caesars that drew money for casinos in es- billion mark by 2019.
about 900 competitors and ports tournaments comes One of the biggest support-
spectators. from ancillary spending ers of esports among ca-
The bottom line result was on food, drinks and hotel sino owners is Seth Schorr,
encouraging, if not dyna- rooms. CEO of the Downtown
mite. “We certainly experi- The Caesars video tourna- Grand in Las Vegas, whose
enced a spike in our hospi- ment offered $200,000 in casino regularly hosts video
tality offerings — the hotel, prize money, including a game tournaments that,
food and beverage side of $70,000 top prize, that lured he said, “make a little bit
things,” Ortzman said. “We players like Jose Mavo, of money.” But Schorr said
didn’t see as much on the of Charlotte, North Caro- the tournaments offer oth-
gambling side, which we lina, who has been playing er revenue opportunities,
weren’t terribly surprised competitively for a decade including suites for groups
by.” But he said coming up and has become a casino and meal packages.
with ways to attract millen- customer as a result of be- “Is it the silver bullet? Of
nials is a necessity for the ing in tournaments hosted In this March 31, 2017 photo, video game players compete course not,” he said. “Is
casino industry as a whole, by gambling halls. against one another in an esports tournament at Caesars casino it one tactic in an overall
in Atlantic City, N.J.
adding that esports play- “We had a tournament in Associated Press strategy? Of course it is.”q