Will Esports Betting Be the Future of Gambling?

n May last year, the US Supreme Court overturned a 26-year-old law that criminalized sports betting—opening a slew of opportunities for eSports bettors countrywide. Internationally, millions of gamers and punters have been betting on eSports for quite a while.

Countries like Malta, Finland, and England have become hubs for eSports leagues and sports teams, earning billions in revenues. It's not just big business for countries seeking revenues. Individual sports players earn up to $3 million yearly participating in eSports tournaments.

With the trend being a fast-growing curve, eSports is headed for global recognition. There are already plans to make it an Olympic Sports. And by the time that happens, betting on the nascent sport will be a global thing. There are already a plethora of places that offer this service – you can find some of the best on sites such as onlinebookies.info.

Continued Growth

The eSports industry has been growing steadily over the last decade. In 2012, the industry earned an accumulated revenue of $130 million. The figure doubled in the next two years, hitting $325 million in 2015. In 2018, the industry was worth $906 million. With the US legalizing sports betting, eSports is projected to hit $1,650 billion by 2020.

With a rise in revenues comes a growth in the sport's popularity. More than 380 million people identified as eSports gamers last yeartriple the figure in 2015. The numbers rise at 32.6% percent every year. By 2025, it’s likely that more than a billion people will be fans or active eSports gamers.

Corporate Sponsorships

Without major brands like Toyota, Twitch, Intel, and Red Bull—the eSports could still be struggling. These brands spend millions of dollars on the industry. They pay for the eSport games to be televised. The companies sponsor leagues and competitive players. They pay for advertising and do a lot of other things to help the industry.

Media companies like YouTube and Twitch also don’t show eSports games free of charge. The giant brands pay heavily on royalty, helping games get popular and players sustain themselves. Twitch paid $90 million to the Overwatch League, while YouTube had similar deals as well. Thanks to the wide interest by corporates, betting companies have begun to support the industry.

Bookies have figured out that eSports is a stable, professionally managed industry. They can support the top tournaments and not fear that rigging or mismanagement will affect their businesses.

The UK leads with top betting sites that support eSports betting. Some of the companies offer free bets for newbies. New members also get free bets and other types of bonuses for simply creating new accounts. 

Internet-centered

Many Internet-based industries have been witnessing high growth rates for years. From telecommunications to media technologies, the world is more Internet-dependent than ever before. Internet penetration globally is also on the rise. China has more than 500 million people with access to the Internet. The access in developing countries is also growing at double digits.

In the next decade, more than half of the world could have access to the Internet. The benefits of such access will be huge to all Internet-based industries. Unlike the situation today, bettors will also be able to bet in a wide range of games.

College Support

Many of the popular sports only exist due to support by education institutions. Think of any major sport. From football to rugby, hockey to baseball—all the sports are played at schools. In the last few years, eSports has been getting a similar form of support.

The University of California Irvine and New York-based Keuka College are two of the major colleges with eSports programs. Albright College, Juniata, Kansas Wesleyan University and several others also have similar programs.

According to ESPN, more than 50 US colleges offer eSports programs. The Universities also have a common governing body for the sport. Dubbed the National Association of Collegiate Esports, the body overlooks University leagues and the games their students play.

Around the world, there are similar programs in Europe, Australia, Asia and throughout South America. While the schools don’t offer exactly similar programs, they are helping drive interest in the sport. And more fans of eSports games means more people likely to bet on them.

The Industry is Untapped

In spite of the millions being thrown into the industry, eSports is still a relatively new industry. Its fans keep on increasing—often at higher numbers than those of football. Bettors that love trying new sports have a new home.

Ambitious betting companies continuously support eSports tournaments. But with the sports being new, it may take time before bettors fully understand how the industry works. That’s only a matter of time though. The high interest in the eSports business means more money will continue to be invested in advertising and sponsorships.

Every day that passes by is a chance for the eSports business to grow. The number of eSports fans is still significantly lower than that of regular sports. But as the industry grows, more people will invest into it. That means more customers for betting fans and the players in the industry.

Changing Entertainment Trends

There was a time people used to laugh at the idea of a professional gamer. Not any more—not especially when there are gamers who make $10 million a year. The huge money in eSports can be credited to the way millennials consume entertainment these days.

Thinking of visiting Vegas to gamble? Why not do it in the comfort of your house. Online gambling has become so advanced that it competes with traditional casinos in market domination. People spend more time on the Internet for entertainment anyway. And the longer this continues to happen—the better it will be for industries like eSports.

To Conclude

Gone are the days when video gaming was a hobby for kids. Days when developers were the only people that made money in the industry are also gone. With sponsorships from corporates and schools, a new culture of eSports-loving millennials is emerging.

The eSports industry is growing annually. All industries related to it—from betting to streaming are also benefiting. In the near future, eSports will be a billion dollar industry. Betting in eSports games will be more popular than ever before and there will be more money to be made.


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Last Updated: Jan 22, 2019

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