British bookmaker Paddy Power has shown today it knows a fresh cash stream when it sees one, as it will soon begin accepting bets on video games. It also shows it does not keep up with recent video game news.
Two of Britain's better Street Fighter IV players will face off later this week, with Paddy Power taking bets on the bout. Punters can throw cash down on things like the winner and the length of the rounds.
"Videogames are as much a legitimate sport as any other," Paddy Power's communications director says.
"We wanted to offer sports fans and games players the ultimate thrill by offering the chance to win big on the outcome of a Super Street Fighter IV competition. If it proves popular, we'll open further books on other video game competitions."
The decision from Paddy Power comes in the wake of news that Korea's competitive Starcraft competition has been rocked by gambling scandals, discrediting both the competitive scene and its associated gambling in the process.
Interesting timing, that! Wonder what effect it'll have on Street Fighter gambling on a more intimate scale...
First ever video game betting service announced [CVG]