How it all started?
History of esports. If you don’t know the term, esports stands for “electronic sports”. It is a sports discipline where players compete among themselves playing computer games. In the past, this was just a past time for many, but today, many professional esports players compete at the highest level.
As the internet became a crucial part of life for many people, many industries started to move their business from offline to online. The sports betting industry, in particular, began to expand incontinently, and in just ten years, revenues went sky high.
With the addition of the eSports market, interest for sports betting just got more significant. As there are millions of esports fans around the world that love to place wagers.
It is believed that the first eSports competition was back in 1980. When over 10.000 participants entered the Atari Space Invaders Tournament.
Despite there were several other tournaments before this one, the Atari tournament is considered to be the first official eSports tournament. With the development of the internet, some games became very popular among gaming fans (Doom, Starcraft, etc.). Still, the full acceleration of eSports culture started in the 2010s with the games such as League of Legends and Dota 2.
Today, the eSports scene is bigger than ever, with 100 million active players, many tournaments and events. The sports betting industry is just following the demands of the bettors and give bigger and better eSports betting markets.
eSports and Online Betting – Plus Legal Issues
It is crystal clear that eSports and sports betting go hand in hand. Betting on eSports is similar to betting on any other sport. As it is important to be knowledgeable, disciplined and choose the perfect eSports sportsbook that will fit your needs.
The one interesting feature in eSports betting is the possibility to bet with your skins, instead of with the real money. Skin gambling is specific for the eSports sector, as skins are cosmetic upgrades that can be used within the game.
The biggest market for skin gambling is, without a doubt CS: GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive). These skins have a different value on the market depending on how rare and special they are. Bettors can place their wagers in an amount from a few cents to several thousand US dollars.
Having in mind that minors play video games, it is the question of how to prohibit underage people from betting. Sports betting is legal in general, but there is no country in the world that allows underage betting. eSports betting and skin betting, in general, can be a problematic area, as there is no tool to prohibit underage people from placing wagers, especially in illegal and unsafe betting sites.
That’s why it is essential always to bet at the regulated and licensed sportsbook, as those betting sites don’t allow underage betting, and they have strict policies and security measures.
Conclusion
There is no question that the eSports gambling market will continue to evolve and rise. If we look at numbers, it seems that the eSports industry is accelerating every year. We would like to see changes in the legal side of eSports, as that is the grey area of the industry, at the moment.
One thing is certain. Gaming companies will push the limits, and gamers will continue to play video games. The betting aspect of the industry will follow, and we can expect more offers from sportsbooks and better opportunities for sports bettors, as eSports is the sport of the future.
FAQ
There are several popular video games, and at the moment, the most popular without any doubt is Fortnite. But, League of Legends, Dota2, and CS: GO have millions of fans around the world and tournaments in these video games attract the most players and spectators.
The most-watched eSports event, with over 60 million viewers, was the 2018 mid-season invitational in League of Legends game. It was a magnificent tournament with a massive prize pool. But the largest prize pool ever in eSports history was the 2019 Dota2 International with $30 million.
You need to be disciplined, and patient. Also, you will need to follow the basic rules of sports betting, have proper money management, and to choose the best possible eSports sportsbook that fit your needs. That way, you will be able to take advantage of the books and to make a long-term profit from sports betting on eSports.