The Downtown Grand has made the switch to esports for the public. They host weekly contests, as well as many competitive events and watch parties. The casino floor, where a high limit room once sat, is now a place where players can go to face off in games such as Mortal Kombat XL. The players are given sit comfortable chairs to sit on, with custom fighting sticks in their hands, with large screens set up in front of them. Many people watch the players compete, but the atmosphere of this area is a much more laid back one than on the regular casino floor, where screams and flashing lights can be seen at all times.
The rise in global esports is continuing at a rapid pace. According to market researcher Newzoo, the esports market will increase by a whopping 43 percent during the year 2016. That increase is a jump from $325 million to $463 million. He predicts that the esports market will be well into the billions by the time 2019 gets here. Cities such as Las Vegas have the infrastructure to host these types of large-scale events, such as the events held by companies The International and Evo. Rumor also has it that Ourgame International Holdings Ltd., a company based in Beijing, is interested in building an arena that is solely dedicated to esports. They are said to want to build it right on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Downtown Grand is eager to get in on the success that an esports arena would bring. At the moment, there aren’t any esports places that run all days of the year, as it is only a weekend event in most areas. According to the CEO and chairman of the Downtown Grand, Seth Schorr, he is hoping that his hotel becomes an esports destination that is open 365 days of the year. They are interested in being able to offer gaming activities and events all of the time, instead of on just random weekends. He believes that being able to cater to men and women in their early 20’s is an important step for the casino industry, and one he wishes to be a part of.
In November of 2015 the hotel invited the LA Renegades to stay on the premises to train. A private room for them to practice in was built specifically for the team. This first-time experience was a way for the hotel to learn just what these types of teams need in terms of equipment and training facilities, according to Schorr.
So far, the feedback has been mostly positive from the outside. The hotel still only hosts once-a-week contests, but are happy with the results so far. With the industry growing quickly, Schorr expects to do much more with esports in the very near future.