US relaxes athlete travel restrictions, could esports benefit?

Steven Rondina Published 25/05/2020

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.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile

Read Also

Kick

Kick Surpasses 1M Average Live Viewers, Claims 35% Market Share Khizar Mundia Kick co-founder Bijan Tehrani has celebrated Kick crossing another major milestone, joking on X that “more people watch Kick than flying on a plane every night.” The platform has increased its market share by 10 percentage points in 2026 while surpassing 1 million average live viewers. It’s not a secret that Eddie Craven and Bijan Tehrani initially launched Kick in 2022 in large part as a direct competitor to Twitch. ...

Dota 2

Dota 2’s new Tidehunter Arcana is mind-blowing, but prepare to spend $200+ to get it Michael Hassall Night owls in North America and early risers in Europe woke up to a brand new Dota 2 Arcana, the first new release of Dota’s rarest and most-coveted cosmetics since 2024. The recipient? Tidehunter, whose Maw of the Megladon Arcana transforms the already selachian sea-dweller into a full-blown shark. But while Arcana’s have traditionally been part of big events in Dota 2, either the now-discontinued Battle Passes, or most recently, ...

Movies & TV

Oscars 2027 — Will the Odyssey Earn the Most Nominations? Zachary Roberts The Odyssey came out in July, and it somehow delivered on all the hype and anticipation that Christopher Nolan's latest film had. Will that translate to Oscars? It can be impossible to predict how a body of voters will lean after an entire year of film releases. However, Polymarket traders think this year will be pretty easy win for Nolan and leading man Matt Damon. The Odyssey was a massive ...

Esports Betting

LeBron James will earn more from prediction markets than basketball this year Michael Hassall Superstar basketball player Lebron James will earn more from prediction markets this year than from playing ball thanks to his mind-blowing 15 million dollar Polymarket sponsorship. The deal has highlighted both the contentious issue of prediction markets and sport (and the true market value of a 41-year-old player) as one of the NBA’s biggest stars now clearly has more cultural cache off the court than the value of a teammate ...

Esports Betting

Polymarket bank failure predictions could force UK intervention Michael Hassall Crypto-based prediction market Polymarket has drawn the ire of the United Kingdom's (UK) establishment after several markets emerged predicting the downfall of British high street banks HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group. The prediction market, which also has markets tracking the downfall of the likes of JP Morgan, US Bank, and BNP Paribas, also included markets predicting the failure of several UK banking institutions. The markets, mainly “Which banks will fail ...

Twitch

What Is Twitch Spendable Balance and How To Use It? Khizar Mundia Twitch is adding another way for viewers to manage their subscriptions, with recurring subscriptions now available through Spendable Balance. But what exactly is Twitch Spendable Balance, and how can creators use it? Here’s what you need to know. Many creators livestream on platforms such as Kick and Twitch full-time and rely on their earnings to pay for basic necessities. This was recently seen on Kick, when the platform’s KPP glitched ...

Kick

Eddie Craven: Kick Remains Creator-Focused As Ads Contribute Little Revenue Khizar Mundia Kick initially prioritized the viewing experience and didn’t add ads to its content, which is why it was a major surprise when the platform finally started showing adverts. CEO Eddie Craven has addressed some of the criticism, revealing that ads are a minor revenue source for Kick, and reiterated that the platform remains creator-first in its approach. Ads initially appeared on Kick in May 2026, which sparked a backlash from ...