Casinos Could Get Metal Detectors, After Jacksonville Shooting

A Madden NFL 19 eSports football tournament in Jacksonville turned deadly on Sunday when one of the competitors went on an execution-style killing spree that was broadcast on a live stream.

The tragedy claimed three lives including the gunman’s and the gaming community has been rocked. It all started when 24 year old David Katz was eliminated from the tournament and this was probably what caused him to snap given the fact that he had been treated for mental illness in the past.

Katz suffered emotional problems after his parents divorced and spent a lot of time playing eGames. His sudden act caught everyone unaware including the organizers of Madden 19.

Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton went on Twitter and said that he felt it was time for casinos, eSports arenas, poker clubs and schools to start installing metal detectors to reduce and prevent such shootings from happenings.

Casinos across the United States have been on alert ever since the Mandalay Bay shooting happened in October 2017. There were lapses of security that led to the deadliest shooting in US history.

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eSports Is Big Business

eSports is a billion dollar business and is continuing to grow rapidly in America. The 30,000 square foot eSports arena that is located at the Luxor in Las Vegas is proof that eSports and gambling are now closely connected. eSports even had a small presence at the 2018 World Series of Poker and it is believed that it will continue to grow and attract more betting action.

The Jacksonville shooting would have sent a strong message to eSports organizers in America and across the world. Most of these eSports tournaments have little to no security which is surprising given the fact that many of the popular eSports video games have a lot of gun violence attached in them. It is essential for eSports organizers to take precautions to ensure they have top security at their venues and events to prevent a similar incident from occurring.

Same Thing Could Happen At A Poker Tournament

Sexton also pointed out that he has always been concerned that some unbalanced poker player could become triggered by going bust or having a ruling go against him and respond by opening fire at the table. Most of the major poker tournaments are held in top casinos and hence usually have sufficient security.

However, smaller poker tours and poker clubs usually function with little to no security and it might be time for them to make changes in the best interests of their patrons and players.