The US online gambling is an increasingly crowded space, and standing out isn’t easy. One company that is hoping to make a splash is Fifth Street Gaming, which recently announced the launch of its digital division and the .

Young comes to Fifth Street Gaming Digital from PointsBet US, with previous stops at Foxwoods Digital and Flower City Gaming, the latter of which was one of the original daily fantasy sports companies.

“I’m thrilled to join Fifth Street Gaming Digital. We’re planning some interesting concepts for the US market,” said Young. “I’m doubly excited about the prospect of working alongside such prolific and experienced entrepreneurs in FSG’s co-founders Seth Schorr and Jeffrey Fine. Together, we see some opportunities that we believe are worth pursuing, and so we’ve made the decision to pursue them. I’m highly confident that the initiatives we have planned will add tremendous value to the interactive gaming market in the USA.”

Young joins another Seth, Seth Schorr, the CEO of Fifth Street Gaming and Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino chairman.

Schorr is considered one of the more innovative casino executives and was an early adopter of esports in Las Vegas. Schorr established the first fully-integrated eSports program in a casino resort at The Downtown Grand and founded the Nevada Esports Alliance.

“We’re excited to have someone of Seth’s caliber join our team,” said Seth Schorr, Fifth Street Gaming CEO. “We sought a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader that wholly understands the interactive gaming industry and all of its nuance, and someone who rivals my own spirit as a trailblazer. We’re going to be treading some new ground, and I believe Seth greatly strengthens and complements our abilities as an organization.”

Sports Betting First, Expanding Into Online Gambling Later

The US is in the midst of a major sports betting boom. But FSG Digital’s still-unknown plans could center around other emerging verticals where the company will be on more equal footing than it is with sports betting.

And that’s where Young’s expertise will come in handy. Young is well-versed in online poker, casino gambling, sports betting, and daily fantasy sports. Coupled with his expertise in running companies large and small, FSG Digital will be one of the more flexible online gambling companies in the US.

Fifth Street Gaming and Esports

As noted, Fifth Street Gaming is well-known for embracing esports. And esports is one of the untapped betting markets in the US. If Fifth Street Gaming Digital can somehow harness and channel that potential, it could be a significant differentiator in the US market.

Esports betting made some inroads during the pandemic, as the shutdown of most professional sports leagues sent sports bettors looking for alternative wagering options. Those options were limited mainly to Eastern European table tennis and esports. And as some have suggested, the US esports betting industry could be worth upwards of $6 billion in several years.

But as I wrote in a column last year, the esports community demands authenticity:

“Many esports enthusiasts have cautioned the industry that you can’t force-feed esports to its audience. That esports requires a level of authenticity. Short of another sports shutdown, it’s hard to see networks and US audiences shifting to esports in large numbers. As such, authentically supplying esports in the US is still a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

Perhaps FSG Digital and the Seths can explain the enigma and unwrap and solve the riddle.