The Atlantic City Casino Redevelopment Authority has earmarked $700,000 for promoting esports. According to the Press of Atlantic City, the events will be held over the next 18 months at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall and the Atlantic City Convention Center. The events will be put on by Ingame Esports, Inc.

Esports are competitive video games that draw thousands of spectators. Some of esports biggest stars have seven figure incomes. CNN reports that over 165 million people are frequent video game viewers. The majority of them are from North America, China, and South Korea. The 2017 League of Legends tournament drew a total of 80 million viewers.

The Press reports that the first event should be held in May with a fighting game tournament planned, with a college tournament in the summer, and an East Coast Athletic Conference event to follow. The conference has 221 member schools. In case you’re wondering, yes, esports qualify under New Jersey law for sports betting.

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