Whether you like sports or not, you know more or less what most of them are about. Traditional sports stars and athletes don’t only bring in a considerable income for the people who own stadiums and sports teams but also for themselves. The athletes in question can make millions from their sports but also from brand deals and sponsorships. Esports might be the new kid on the block regarding sports, but they’re catching up to traditional sports in popularity and income generation fast.
Esports betting has not been as big a business as betting on conventional sports, but that, too, is changing fast. The Online Casino does well, and so does the online sportsbook, so why wouldn’t the esports fans of the world want a piece of that pie? Join us as we learn what esports is, why it is becoming so popular and why and how people bet on them.
What Are Esports?
Esports are not played on a field or race track, nor do they take place in a ring or a pool. Esports is the competitive division of gaming for video gamers. Though many people don’t know this, esports began way back in 1978 with the first Space Invaders tournament. Since then, the sporting division of video gaming has gained in popularity. These days esports tournaments are played in enormous arenas and are watched in person by hundreds of fans and over the internet or on TV by possibly millions all over the world. Esports are played by the best of the best in the gaming world, players who have spent years honing their craft and perfecting their skills to become lethal in whichever game world they prefer.
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As of 2021, the eSports industry was generating around $243 million in revenue in the USA alone, not to mention $360 million in China. This level of revenue generation is possible not only because of players of a certain caliber but also because of the millions of fans all over the world who tune in to watch the tournaments. For example, the League of Legends 2021 WC final, played in Reykjavik, Iceland, had 73.86 million spectators at the peak of the tournament. That number translates quickly and easily into profits for any involved companies. To give you an idea of just how popular that makes an esports tournament of this magnitude is, the 2021 Super Bowl was only watched by 96.4 million viewers.
This kind of viewership is no fluke; esports are gaining in popularity daily and generating more and more revenue as they do. The more revenue the industry generates, the more money the players can take home if they win, the more players want to enter, and the beat goes on.
Esports Betting
Anywhere there is money being made in sports, and anywhere there’s a sports game to wager on, you’ll find fans of that sport ready and willing to place bets on its outcome. With the rise in popularity of esports, it’s hardly surprising that more and more gamers and gaming fans are betting on their favorite teams or the outcome of their favorite game.
Betting on esports is just like betting on any other sport. Before you select an online casino that offers sportsbook options or a regular online sportsbook, you need to be sure that you know a lot about the game and match you’re betting on, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the players. The better informed you are about all of this, the more informed a bet you can place and the better a chance you’ll have of getting the outcome you want. Of course, the nature of sports and betting means that unexpected things might happen at any time, so you need to be prepared for the fact that you may not rake in the winnings every time.
