Competitive Gaming in Oregon and Beyond

OregonReigns Editorials

As popular as traditional team sports, athletics and racing remain, people all over the world are getting involved in competitive gaming. We now live in a digital age, and, like it or not, screens play an important role in how we work and how we play. Gaming itself has undergone a huge transformation in recent years – modern games are immersive, engaging experiences that encourage players to spend hours exploring fascinating new worlds of imagination.

While the competitive aspect of gaming is nothing new – multiplayer titles have existed since the arcade days of gaming – the advent of digital technology has made it possible for gamers in Oregon to team up with or go up against players from all over the world in certain digital games. We’ve even begun to see digital competitions run in parallel with traditional sporting events, something we can expect to become commonplace in the not-so-distant future.

eSports

eSports, short for electronic sports, is a gaming industry sector that involves competitive video gaming. eSports competition can be both professional or amateur level, and, in today’s digital gaming climate, several of them take place online and are open to players from all over the world.

There have been numerous calls for eSports to become officially recognized as a sporting sector. Players may not be testing their physical capabilities as they would if they were playing football, but playing games at a high level requires an immense amount of skill, discipline and mental fortitude. eSports is also highly inclusive since there are no physical barriers to entry, so no wonder it appeals to a wide range of demographics.

Competition eSports in Oregon is growing.

The eSports scene in Oregon is still at a developmental stage when compared to other states. However, there are a number of college teams and local events and tournaments in the state that are helping eSports expand. In fact, several efforts have been made to grow the eSports industry in Oregon, such as the construction of a dedicated eSports arena in Portland.

Digital Poker

Poker has been regarded as a Mindsport for several years now, so naturally, there’s a lot of interest in the discipline among the digital gaming community. Playing poker online can be just as thrilling as it is in real life, and there are plenty of different games and events to be part of. Tournaments are a great way to go head-to-head with skilled players – some digital poker tournaments have even pulled in some of the world’s top professionals.

In terms of participating in digital poker events in Oregon, things aren’t quite as straightforward as they are in other states. Due to real money gaming not currently being legislated in Oregon, there are limited options for accessing and playing digital poker games in state boundaries. While there are several regulated options for those who play poker in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada, Oregon-based players, in comparison, are limited to playing at offshore sites online.

Things may change in the long run, however. Oregon lawmakers may not be pushing for iGaming legislation right now, but they aren’t ruling the idea out, either. Currently, we can position Oregon as being somewhat on the fence; land-based gaming already exists in the state and iGaming legislation is already proving to be an economic boom for the multiple states who’ve legalized key verticals, so the combination could sway things more in favor of gamers.

OregonReigns
Lakeside, Oregon
Top Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels

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