Esports Entertainment Group has announced that it has received an Order approving a Transactional Waiver from the Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement which permits the company to begin accepting bets in the state.

The Company becomes the first esports betting operator to receive a Transactional Waiver in New Jersey and plans to launch their VIE.gg betting platform following a five-day “soft play” period. During “soft play”, certain limitations must be applied to the online experience to ensure proper regulatory operations.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be the first esports-dedicated operator to be granted the right to commence business in New Jersey. On behalf of our entire team, I would like to thank the Division of Gaming Enforcement for their approval of our platform and the trust they have placed in our Company. Global esports betting is estimated to exceed $205 billion by 2027, and we are thrilled to be playing such an important role in this fast-growing market with the launch of our first esports wagering offering in the United States,” Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, said.

Upon launch, the Company’s VIE.gg platform will allow bettors across New Jersey, the 11th most populous U.S. state, to wager on their favorite esports teams in real-time as part of a seamless and immersive experience. Players will be able to leverage their esports prowess across games such as Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends, and DOTA 2.

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Daily Fantasy Sports operator PrizePicks has announced the addition of premier esports titles Call of Duty, Rocket League, and Valorant to its marketplace, a major step toward solidifying PrizePicks as the premier fantasy esports operator in North America.

PrizePicks already features iconic AAA titles Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and League of Legends (LoL) on its platform. The three new titles give PrizePicks members a menu of play options unmatched by any other DFS operator in North America and a virtual monopoly on the dominant first-person shooter (FPS) genre.

“Esports was an important offering for us in early 2020 when the pandemic shut everything down, but not only did our monthly esports handle stay strong when the NBA, NFL and college sports returned, it actually grew in unison with our traditional sports over those last six months of the year. These are franchises with fan bases that span decades in some cases and they’ve historically been underserved by sportsbooks and fantasy platforms. We’re thrilled to offer this variety of playable options,” Adam Wexler, CEO of PrizePicks, said.

PrizePicks entered the esports arena in 2019 through a partnership with Atlanta-based SMITE Pro League. In addition to esports featuring heavily on PrizePicks in early 2020 due to COVID-19 with titles such as iRacing and NBA2K League, PrizePicks deepened its esports presence in November 2020, entering into a strategic partnership with cutting edge franchise Ghost Gaming, which fields teams in Rocket League and recently-added Valorant, among others. The two Atlanta-based companies have been collaborating on a series of initiatives set to debut later this year.

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“The more opportunities that esports fans have to engage with their favorite titles and franchises, the better it is for the industry. We were attracted to a partnership with PrizePicks in the first place because they have a vision not just to expand their platform but to create a better fan experience overall,” Stewart Tanner, Head of Partnerships at Ghost Gaming, said.

A new Hollywood-based esports team, which is backed by high profile celebrities, has announced its official launch.

Named Team 33, the esports team is planning to enter major tournaments in popular games like Call of Duty, CS:GO, Valorant, World of Warcraft, Fortnite, League of Legends, Dota 2, Madden, and FIFA. The team will have players from all over the globe.

“We are excited to officially launch our esports team today, as this has been years in the making. Some of our players we have signed have won major tournaments all over the world and we are now ready to compete as a team globally. We will be revealing our official roster of players in 2021 from our headquarters in the Hollywood Hills. We are also selectively accepting applications from pro players all over the world interested in joining us as we are currently expanding our team,” Tyler Gallagher, CEO and co-founder of Team 33, said.

“We are accepting applications from pro gamers at www.team33.gg for a limited period of time and look forward to finalizing our esports roster this year,” Gallagher added.

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The team will be headquartered in a luxurious mansion in the Hollywood Hills, CA. Nicknamed House 33, the home and training facility will welcome all of its players for training and charity streams. House 33 is an award-winning property that has had numerous high profile guests including Post Malone, Drake, Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, TM88, Young Thug, Gunna, Swae Lee, and Kaash Paige.

“We designed House 33 to be a world-class training facility for gamers and a creative space for artists and creators alike. Although we hire pro players worldwide, we believe in team building and giving back to local charities which is why this luxurious property in the Hollywood Hills will be our headquarters,” Gallagher said.

“Anyone who is accepted to Team 33 will receive a world class setup sent to their home directly. This is to include a state of the line computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, desk, gaming chair with camera and microphone setup. The value of this setup is almost $5000 and only going to a selective few that get signed to the team,” Gallagher added.