Even before the coronavirus disrupted global sports activity, eSports had attracted major attention and had exploded as a multibillion-dollar industry. With COVID-19, it has gained a lot more ground and has become the go-to alternative for sports fans, as well as for some sports industries. Still, there are those who would argue that it isn’t possible to view video game competitions as a real sport, but the real world is proving them wrong. High schools and universities in various countries have already established eSports as part of their official extracurricular programs, and the legitimization of the activity was just taken to a new level in New Zealand. The New Zealand Esports Federation (NZESF) has been recognized as an “official” National Sporting Organisation by Sports New Zealand, the government body that oversees sports in the country.
NZESF, a not-for-profit eSports initiative, is part of the larger, International eSports Federation. It has been trying for several years to receive recognition by the government as a legitimate sport, and has finally reached its goal. Sports New Zealand (SNZ) reportedly wrapped up an assessment of the group recently, and approved it as a sports organization at the end of last week.
With the acceptance of NZESF, there are now reportedly 21 countries across the globe that have approved a national body for eSports. The president of NZESF, Ben Lenihan, is excited about the future of the activity with the approval of SNZ and asserted in a statement after the announcement was made, “We are absolutely thrilled with this decision by Sport New Zealand. Recognition of the NZESF as the official National Sporting Organisation for esports is a key step in moving esports forward.”
Receiving approval is more than just a simple recognition of eSports; it brings with it a lot of legal and regulatory advantages that will help propel the industry even further. The legitimization in New Zealand paves the way for visas and tax statuses, regulations for the distribution of prize money, education resources and more.