The NBA 2K League is packing up and moving to Indiana. The league’s fifth season will take place in Indianapolis, rather than its original home in New York City.
NBA 2K League comes to Indiana
If there’s one thing that always rings true, it’s that Hoosiers love basketball. Indiana gamblers wagered nearly $150 million on the sport during December alone.
The NBA is a huge hit around the state, and the video game take on the league is wildly popular as well.
2K doesn’t have any real competition when it comes to NBA gaming, so it gets to run the table when it comes to the esports side of things.
Enter, the 2K League.
The new 2K League Studio is located at The Pavilion at Pan Am in downtown Indianapolis. If you’re not super familiar with the area, that’s right around the corner from Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Indianapolis action will begin on April 20.
Actual NBA franchises run most of the 24 2K League teams. The only exception is the Shanghai Gen.G Tigers, which work out of the University of Kentucky.
In other words, the League has real backing from basketball entities around the country.
Pacers Gaming represents the blue and gold in the Hoosier State.
However, if you love betting on the Indiana Pacers, don’t expect to wager on the franchise’s 2K team.
No esports betting in Indiana
NBA betting is on the table in Indiana, but Hoosiers won’t be able to wager on the NBA 2K League.
That’s because esports betting is not available in Indiana. Legal online Indiana sportsbooks are not able to offer odds on any video game events.
So at least for now, you can go see the teams compete in person, but you won’t be able to bet on the action.
That could change in the future, but it’s likely a distant goal for Indiana regulators.
The state is already too deep into its legislative calendar to legalize esports betting this year. That puts 2023 as the next logical option, but even that is probably wishful thinking.
Online casinos will once again take the gambling spotlight next year, which would push any meaningful esports talks into 2024 or beyond.
That’s a shame considering that the revenue from esports wagering is being left on the table in Indiana.
States like Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee and West Virginia have already legalized esports wagers.
Indiana may join the party eventually, but until then, NBA 2K League fans can at least watch their favorite teams compete in downtown Indianapolis.
