US gaming hub opens first eSports arena

Saturday 25th of February 2017

Millennials will have a new reason to visit the US gaming mecca with the opening of a new world-class eSports arena in Las Vegas.

Opened by Millennial Esports, the arena is a 15,000-square-foot space inside the Neonopolis shopping mall in Downtown Las Vegas.

“As soon as I got into this (e-sports) industry, I knew I wanted to be in Las Vegas and specifically in downtown Las Vegas,” said Alex Igelman, chief executive officer of Millennial Esports, quoted by the Las Vegas Sun. “The demographic and everything about downtown fits perfectly with esports — you know the millennials.”

The facility features a 200-seat arena with stadium-style seating and a main room for up to 500 people with a stage, as well as a green room and a VIP room.

The US gambling hub has long been a poster child for attracting a non-gaming market.

While tourist numbers soared to record highs in 2015, gambling revenue stayed relatively stagnant.

Macau saw a rise in visitor non-gaming spend in 2016, with operators focusing more on attracting and catering for the mass market gambler.

Last year, visitor expenditure (excluding gaming) rose 3 percent to MOP 52.7 million in 2016, compared to MOP 51.13 billion in 2015.

Shopping made up the majority of non-gaming spend, making up 44.3 percent of the total, followed by accommodation (26.9 percent) and food & beverage (20.8 percent).

Sports Betting ESports Non-gaming Arena