SURREY — Elements Casino in Cloverdale is getting into the game of eSports by opening a lounge dedicated to competitive video gaming, or electronic sports.
When it opens in the first week of December, the Elements eSports Lounge will play host to monthly tournaments, viewing parties and more.
The 190-seat facility, considered the first of its kind at a casino in Canada, will aim to attract a growing eSports audience.
“This will be a place for patrons to watch eSports events, somewhere between 10 to 15 per month, in a comfortable lounge area,” Spiro Khouri, Elements’ marketing manager, told the Now.
The 19-plus lounge will also host monthly eSports tournaments for players, starting on Dec. 3 with a “Street Fighter V” launch event that features a $1,500 prize pool.
A company called Spawn Point has partnered with Elements Casino to present the tournament, details of which were announced on Tuesday morning (Nov. 1).
“There are many pubs where people can go to watch their favourite (pro sports) teams but nowhere for people to go to watch their favourite eSports teams,” Khouri explained. “We plan to lead the charge in this space.”
At Elements, the eSports lounge will be located next to the racebook, in a former poker room. Online, the lounge is located at elementscasino.com/esports.
The five main video-game genres of eSport include first-person shooter (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), fighting games and sports simulation.
Last weekend, a “League of Legends” world-final eSports event was played at a sold-out Staples Center in Los Angeles, Khouri noted.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com