U.S. capital bets big on esports’ appeal to tourists Washington D.C. is making a considerable push into esports, starting with the sponsorship of a major esports team and the construction of a multipurpose arena with esports primarily in mind.
The esports arena is, as many professional sports facilities financed with public money are, not without controversy.
The new arena also means the Mystics move out of downtown D.C., which some view as giving the WNBA club second-class status.
(Events DC’s board of directors is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council of Washington, making this effectively a city sponsorship.)