Players trash-talking, commentators breaking down each play and fans cheering. It’s not an Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field, but rather the Gears of War Pro Circuit Open at Caesars Atlantic City. The event, which concluded Sunday, is the first major esports event in the resort as it looks to take advantage of the rapidly growing $1 billion industry.
“It’s like going to a football game,” said Seth Gentry, 23, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as he watched players play in the casino’s ballroom. The three-day video-game competition had a prize pool of $200,000, with $70,000 going to the winning team.
“We know that the historical older female slot players are declining; we also know that the millennial demographic is going to be the largest spending group in the U.S. in the next five years,” said Kevin Ortzman, president of Caesars Atlantic City.
“An event like this is the catalyst to bring them in and show them what we have to offer. I think that Caesars Entertainment really believes this is an area that we have to pursue to determine if this is really going to be the platform for the evolution of the next casino.”
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