Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the parent company of the Playstation console, has filed a patent for an esports betting platform that will accept cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, as a form of payment, seeking new ways to bet on esports.
The patent was filed in 2019 and became public last month on May 13th and is another step of the company expanding towards the esports world, which is rapidly growing with estimates of 3.1 billion gamers in the world.
In March, Sony Interactive Entertainment and New Esports Venture together acquired the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s largest fighting game event with games such as Mortal Kombat 11, Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear -Strive-.
If the patent is approved and the platform goes live, it will allow Playstation players and viewers to bet with real money and cryptocurrency, Bitcoin in specific. In addition, the platform will also allow viewers of live esports competitions to place bets in real-time.
There are still many unknowns, including if the company will go ahead with the platform once the patent gets approved. It has already received some rejections from the U.S. Patent office.
Also, it’s unknown what this platform will mean to Playstation users in the US. Many states are starting to legalize sports betting, but many of them do not allow esports betting. Notably, New Jersey and Nevada have recently allowed betting on esports.
