Madden Esports Betting Tourney At Atlantic City Casino Rescheduled

An esports tournament scheduled for later this month at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is being postponed.

Esports Entertainment Group will hold the two-day Madden NFL video game tournament on March 19 and March 20. The event was originally set for Jan. 22 and Jan. 23.

The partnership between EEG and Hard Rock will result in the first sanctioned skill-based wagering event in the United States.

The 256-player in-person tournament has been approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement for self-wagers, according to a press release.

“We are extremely proud to offer a one-of-a-kind esports wagering experience in partnership with EEG,” Joe Lupo, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, said in December. “We are confident that this innovative and highly regulated partnership will prove to be a success, contributing to our market-leading gaming offerings.”

Madden NFL 22 tournament details

The tournament will be run through LANDuel, the EEG software that is a peer-to-peer skill-based wagering platform.

Players will compete for a shot at the prize pool of the tournament, in addition to legally wagering on the outcome of their Madden NFL 22 matches.

The event space will also feature a dedicated set of PCs for non-tournament participants to compete in side-matches on LANDuel. This allows eligible tournament spectators or casino guests the ability to side-wager in their own matches outside of the tournament.

The event will include a showcase stage for the tournament with spectator seating.

“We are extremely excited to partner with one of the top global hotel and casino venues to kickstart the world of regulated peer-to-peer wagering in esports,” Grant Johnson, CEO of EEG, said last month.

Esports betting in NJ

New Jersey is one of four states where esports betting is both legal and regulated. Nevada, Tennessee and West Virginia are the others.

Esports betting has been available in the U.K. for some time, but only recently became available in the U.S.

New Jersey has permitted esports betting events in the past on a case-by-case basis. In November 2021, state law was revised to permanently allow esports wagering on sanctioned events.

Dreamstime stock image