🏠 » General » US relaxes athlete travel restrictions, could esports benefit?

US relaxes athlete travel restrictions, could esports benefit?

The United States government wants live sports back on television, and it’s making moves to ensure that happens.

The Department of Homeland Security has signed an exemption that will allow athletes to bypass current travel restrictions. Though the measure is primarily designed to help traditional sports such as baseball and hockey, it may open the door for many esports organizations to reunite their separated teams and will give leagues the chance to streamline operations after some have been forced to have teams compete from great distances.

“The order, signed on May 22, 2020, states that it is in the national interest to except aliens who compete in professional sporting events organized by certain professional sporting groups…The Department will work with the professional sporting groups to identify the specific athletes, essential staff, team and league leadership, spouses, and dependents covered by this exemption,” acting DHS Secretary Chad F. Wolf said in a statement.

The statement specifically hones in on organizations such as the NBA, WNBA, NHL, and MLB as beneficiaries of the move, suggesting the DHS will work directly with major sports entities in determining eligibility for exemptions. It is unclear how stringent the DHS will be with exemptions, but even a modest thaw in travel restrictions will be welcome news for sports and esports bodies alike.

Travel restrictions have hit esports hard

Global travel restrictions have been major hurdles for all sporting entities, but the team-based nature of most competitive gaming titles and focus on international competition has proven to be particularly difficult for esports. Each title has been impacted differently, with some adjusting better to the “new normal” than others.

League of Legends has been able to maintain regular regional play in an online environment, with competition organizers quickly adjusting to the production differences. By comparison, the Overwatch League has struggled to maintain normalcy, which has resulted in its teams being functionally split across two separate leagues with limited matching options. Numerous other games, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2, have seen teams with multinational rosters forced to compete with substitutes while international team members are stuck abroad.

An ease in travel restrictions for esports institutions would allow certain events to enjoy a greater sense of normalcy and would allow American organizations to reunite teams that had been separated.

That said, there is no guarantee that this will throw open the gates for esports in the same way it might for the NBA or MLB.

Latest News
These Western-themed slots bring high noon online
While bettors are most concerned with a slot ...
The biggest winners in esports in April 2025
One of the biggest prizes in esports was ...
Team Spirit vs FlyQuest: BLAST Rivals Spring CS2 betting guide
Team Spirit and FlyQuest are set to face ...
MOUZ vs Pain Gaming: BLAST Rivals Spring CS2 betting guide
BLAST Rivals Spring will give Counter-Strike fans the ...
The best sci-fi slots to try for a far-out and fun time online
Online slot machines have a wide range of ...
The five best slots you can play online for free today
Sometimes, slot fans and players want to try ...
The best horror-themed slots for spooky online fun
As online slots become more and more popular ...
MOUZ vs Falcons: IEM Melbourne CS2 betting guide
Team Falcons is cruising in IEM Melbourne, but ...
Here’s how to play slots and slot games for free online
Online slots and slot games have been growing ...
The biggest and best payout slots you can play online in 2025
Looking for a the biggest possible payout when ...
Editor's Picks
Who is Stevewilldoit? Net worth, girlfriend, and more
The news of Stephen "Stevewilldoit" Deleonardis, the master ...
All we know about Thea Booysen, MrBeast’s girlfriend
Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson is known purely for his ...
How to quickly make infinite water in Terraria
Whether you’re looking to spruce up your Hellevator ...
Best Pokemon Glazed cheat codes
Pokemon Glazed is one of the most popular ...
How to enable net graph in CS2 
Competitive players were disappointed when they discovered that ...

Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.
21+NCPGGamblers Anonymous
×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Visit Site