Brett Abarbanel has been named executive director for the UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI). IGI is a nonprofit academic center that offers research and educational programs for the global gaming industry.

Brett Abarbanel has been named Executive Director for the UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI). IGI is a non-profit academic center that offers research and educational programs for the global gaming industry.

While she was an undergraduate majoring in statistics at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Brett Abarbanel was bankrolled in a poker game by a friend. She’d never played poker before, but the idea of applying ideas she’d learned in classes was intriguing.

Brett Abarbanel is named as executive director after nearly a decade with the institute

No wagering breakthroughs are expected when esports betting is allowed more frequently at Nevada sportsbooks about a month from now.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the sports wagering world was essentially short-circuited as professional and college sports leagues canceled games. With the notable exceptions of Belarusian soccer and Russian table tennis, actual markets for sporting events were few and far between.

Esports debuted in a traditional online sportsbook back in 2009. Since then, Esports has developed into a billion-dollar industry, thanks to the growth of streamers leading to increased audiences and more sponsorship revenue.

After a rocky 2020, when lockdowns kept casinos closed or operating under restrictions, the gambling industry has recovered, and then some. Commercial gaming revenue – that includes in-person gambling, online gambling and sports betting – set an all time record in March, taking in more than $5.3 billion, according to the American Gaming Association.