Sports betting has become one of the most popular activities for gamblers online in the past decade. Most of this growth is owed to the expansion of betting sites and the inclusion of more events. It’s a common sight to log on to a website, view thousands of betting options for matches, and place bets on the desired offerings. However, another area of betting is gaining steam in a big way: E-sports. Though the genre is still in its infancy, it is already generating a large share of the market. What’s more is that E-sports are featured on the very same licensed and regulated gambling sites.
In short, E-sports are competitions revolving around video games. Instead of the traditional sports played by athletes around the world, E-sports offer matches and tournaments in which virtually every type of individual can participate. However, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The players who compete in E-sports tournaments are considered some of the best in the world. In addition, these players practice for hours every day to hone their gaming skills. Many have already monetized the genre through streaming services like Twitch and YouTube.
At face value, it still might be hard to take such events seriously. The reality is that millions of people across the globe do, in fact, take e-sports tournaments very seriously. So much so that a single tournament can draw in over 10,000 spectators and offer each player more than $100,000 in prize money. Given the widespread popularity of video games, having events like these become so popular is not much of a surprise.
The type of game that is played in each tournament will vary, considering how many modern video games exist. However, the biggest genres that draw in the most attention are real-time strategy (RTS) games and fighting games. For example, League of Legends is a massively popular RTS game that generates insane amounts of revenue from tournaments and streamers. On a competitive level, this game is always played in teams. Fighting games are reserved for one-on-one competition, unless the tournament is specifically a point-based team event.
As far as placing bets on E-sports, there is no shortage of betting sites or online casinos that offer these stakes. Although they don’t go as far back as traditional sports, bettors can still research form guides about E-sports and review data on how previous events have played out. The industry related to online gambling and E-sports is continuing its rapid growth. Therefore, players should expect even more options for betting and a much bigger following in the coming years.