The eSports community has been around for decades, but has experienced explosive growth in the past five years. Tournaments such as the International Dota 2 tournament – with its $23 million prize pool – exceed, in total prize money, the PGA Masters.

However, these large tournaments are few and far between. Blaine Graboyes, CEO of GameCo, mentioned Thursday at an eSports seminar at G2E that many casinos come to him expecting to host large tournaments and make their revenue from ticket sales. The data, though, shows that only 9% of global eSports revenue in 2017 is from ticket sales. On the other hand, sponsorship and advertising make up more than half.

On the final night of the trip, Villareal and future Rogue General Manager Sean Mulryan, who were working at NME at the time, were treated by Downtown Grand CEO Seth Schorr to a VIP table on stage at XS Nightclub, where electronic dance music superstar Zedd was performing.

There, they hatched a plan

“It’s a new sport for a new medium,” says Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and the chairman of the Downtown Grand, who’s also a Rogue investor and adviser. “Rogue is the center to build a universe around.”

Since 2015, at least a dozen NBA teams, owners and players have invested heavily in the growing esports market, backing or buying competitive gaming teams around the globe. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, a dot-com pioneer who built a fortune in the tech world, opted for a different route.

ATLANTIC CITY — One of the two new casinos that will be opening at the end of June has partnered with Nevada’s largest sports book to run its sports wagering operation.

Ocean Resort Casino has partnered with William Hill U.S., a London-based sports book that currently operates 115 of Nevada’s 183 books.

For months, there was little, if any, sign that Atlantic City’s former Revel casino, a $2 billion bust, was getting ready to reopen.

Colorado developer Bruce Deifik bought it in January and made plans for its reincarnation as the Ocean Resort Casino. But there was scant activity visible on the site.

That has changed.

Sixteen days to go and Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort Casino Hotel is racing to get ready. Two thousand slot machines stand in easy-to-use groups, as workmen tinker with roulette tables. Dead center on the casino’s 138,000 square foot floor, a brand-new sports betting parlor takes shape, and will open for wagers when the casino goes live June 28.

The last time there was so much hype about the future of this troubled seaside resort, Donald J. Trump was doing most of the hyping.

The president, then a casino impresario, opened the Trump Taj Mahal, the biggest gambling venue on the boardwalk, with great fanfare and at a cost of $1.2 billion in 1990, only to have it collapse into bankruptcy the following year. After years of decline, it shut down in 2016, seemingly consigned to symbolize the ruinous excess here during the Trump era.

Host Games, the blockchain-based online casino gaming protocol for emerging markets, has just announced the additions of Melissa Blau and Seth Schorr to its Advisory Board. They will help accelerate Host Game’s vision in bringing transparency to the $50 billion online casino gaming industry.

Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and Chairman of Downtown Grand Las Vegas, will bring his hospitality, casino management, and gaming expertise to Host Games. His career in gaming and hospitality began in 1991, where he served as an integral member of Wynn Resorts team, developing the international marketing department in Macau, the interactive gaming division. Seth also working in numerous capacities at Bellagio Resort and Casino, The Mirage Hotel and Casino and more. In 2015, Schorr was introduced to eSports and lead the effort of developing the first fully integrated eSports program at Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino. His experience and wisdom will help guide Host Games during its offline casino expansion phase.