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Las Vegas Convention Authority Weighs $2M Esports Bet to Fill 2028 Hotel Rooms
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is asking its board to approve a $2 million sponsorship with esports organizer BLAST to bring two international tournaments, including the city's first Counter-Strike Major, to Las Vegas in 2028. Officials estimate the events would generate roughly 130,000 hotel room nights.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is asking its board to approve a $2 million sponsorship deal with esports organizer BLAST that would bring two international tournaments to the valley in 2028, including the city's first-ever Counter-Strike Major.
The proposal, which surfaced Tuesday, is part of a broader push by local tourism leaders to draw more visitors and fill hotel rooms during slower stretches of the calendar. The fall Counter-Strike Major would be scheduled for a weekend between Thanksgiving and the National Finals Rodeo, a window the authority has identified as a priority for boosting visitation.
A second esports tournament would be held in the summer of 2028, according to the proposal. Together, the two events are projected to generate about 130,000 hotel room nights.
Beyond room bookings, the deal would grant Las Vegas official host-city status and give the destination exposure across esports broadcasts and digital platforms, putting the city in front of a global audience that follows competitive gaming.
The Counter-Strike Major is one of the most-watched championships in the game's international circuit, and landing it would mark a first for Southern Nevada. The authority's board is expected to weigh the sponsorship as it balances public spending against the promise of visitor traffic and international marketing reach.
The proposal comes as Las Vegas continues to court major sporting and entertainment events to sustain its tourism economy, with esports representing a younger, digitally connected demographic that destination marketers have increasingly targeted.