A recent academic study co-authored by Brett Abarbanel, director of research of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ International Gaming Institute, might dampen the interest even further in the eyes of gaming regulators when it comes to competitive eSports, which includes shooting and fighting games and simulated sports contests.

The report, “eSports consumer perspectives on match-fixing: Implications for gambling awareness and game integrity,” found that many fans of the video game competitions aren’t concerned about the practice of “match-fixing,” where competitors actually “cheat to lose.”

According to the study, eSports fans believe cheating to win is actually a much more detrimental threat to the game.

The results challenge the issues surrounding the discussion of “game integrity,” which is foremost to the debate over the growth of legal sports wagering. Sportsbook operators, professional sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association all have varying views on how game integrity should be managed.

However, Abarbanel, who has been following the growth of eSports within her research into all aspects of gambling, hopes the study’s results will lead to dialogue and education within the eSports community, including fan, sponsors and competitors, as well as the gaming industry in general.

The eSports industry, Abarbanel said, has grown on a global scale over the last decade and is expected to reach $1 billion in 2019, years ahead of earlier predictions. She said efforts by eSports player to lose a competition on purpose is the most serious risk to the legitimacy and growth of the emerging eSports industry.

Fans and competitors at an eSports contest

“Match fixing is less of a concern in lounges and the arena spaces,” Abarbanel said. “As the activity grows, the eSports community itself need to address this issue.”

In the executive summary of the report, Abarbanel and co-author Mark Johnson of the University of Alberta in Canada said they examined “perceptions of gambling awareness, integrity and eSports gambling to assess esports consumers’ awareness of and attitudes towards gambling-related match-fixing.

“Results indicate that esports viewers are not deeply concerned by match-fixing,” the authors wrote. “In addition, spectators typically view gambling as a cause of corruption among competitors, but also understand and accept some elements of the practice.”

Issues surrounding eSports are on the program for this week’s International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, which opens Tuesday at Caesars Palace. Coincidentally, Abarbanel won’t be on an eSports panel. With the IGI producing the 17th conference – which is held every three years – Abarbanel has a full plate of moderating and speaking assignments.

Gaming slow to embrace eSports

The matter of gambling on eSports is still a murky subject in Nevada. The State Legislature approved the concept of wagering on video game-style competition events in 2017 – an issue reviewed in depth a year earlier by the Governor’s Gaming Policy Committee.

Earlier this year, Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairwoman Sandra Douglass Morgan told a gaming education conference at UNLV that regulators had received just four requests to approve wagers on the activity.

“Similar to skill-based gaming, there seems to be public interest in eSports, but not a significant demand from licensees to offer wagers on eSports events,” Morgan said. “As eSports evolve and oversight and sanctioning organizations emerge, the board expects an increase in the amount of eSports style wagering.”

Large eSports competitions – without gambling – have been held at the Boardwalk Hall Convention Center in Atlantic City and the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Some resorts have waded into the idea, giving up space in public areas in or near casinos. The Downtown Grand in Las Vegas was the first to open an eSports venue a few years ago, inviting in teams to practice and compete.

Luxor Las Vegas opened the HyperX eSports Arena 15 months ago, dedicating 30,000 square feet to a multi-level arena that includes a competition stage, a 50-foot LED video wall, special seating, daily gaming stations, and unique food and beverage offerings. Last week, Atlantis Casino Resort in Reno opened an eSports lounge.

For now, casino operators want to measure the interest in eSports to see if a gambling aspect is feasible. Abarbanel said most eSports competitors are young and can be swayed by outside influences – i.e., money in exchange for throwing a game.

“The age of participants was an important consideration for eSports spectators,” Abarbanel said of the findings. “Several of those questioned said minors who accept a bribe shouldn’t face punishment because of their inexperience.”