Predicting the future is a risky business. Many people have peered into the crystal ball only to have their prophecies crumble as the opposite scenarios play out. Despite this, let’s take a look at where eSports Betting appears to be heading. One thing seems certain – this massively popular pastime is set to grow.
A billion-dollar business
Estimates of eSports betting revenues for 2019 range from $1 billion to $13 billion. Either way, it is safe to say that we are looking at a billion-dollar business with exponential growth rates. eSports is now a huge piece of the gambling pie that looks poised for further growth.
Betting on eSports will get easier for gamblers
In the early days, eSports betting was as niche as it got. You were more likely to find the Lichtenstein U18 tiddlywinks championships than a solid Counter-Strike event to bet on. That might be a slight exaggeration, but it isn’t far off. To find a quality bookmaker that offers this service, check a site like Slotsadviser that reviews gambling platforms. Nowadays, most online bookmakers have a burgeoning eSports section, and finding juicy markets to bet on couldn’t be easier.
Bigger prize pools
As the sport grows so do the prize pools that gamers can play for. One example is Epic, which is putting up a total of $100 million in prizes for Fortnite comps. Players at the top of the tables can now pull in $10K per month, not to mention huge prize winnings. Three top winners are:
- Kuro ‘KuroKy’ Takhasomi with $4.2 million
- Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok with $1.8 million
- Andreas ‘Xyp9x’ Højsleth with $1.4 million
Okay, we aren’t talking football salaries – yet, but watch this space as more money flows into the industry.
Greater celebrity endorsements
Boosting the profile of eSports are celebrity endorsements. Past sports icons that have loaned their ‘star power’ include:
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- NBA Basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal
- Baseball stars Alex Rodriguez (Yankees, Rangers, and Mariners), and Jimmy Rollins (Phillies, Dodgers, White Sox).
- Man City footballer Sergio Aguero
This creates a snowball effect that brings multiple benefits to the sport. The most obvious one is a higher profile and greater publicity. This leads to more players, more betting, and a huge monetary injection. In the future, we can expect to see a larger number of big-name celebrities getting involved with eSports. This further legitimizes the sport, leading to greater acceptance by the public and bigger, juicier markets for gamblers to take part in.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that eSports betting is here to stay and is heading for the mainstream. The sport offers a huge range of exciting events and markets to bet on which are growing daily. For gamers, there can be no better pastime than watching top gamers compete against each other, with the potential to make money on top. More and more online casinos support eSports betting now so it is easier than ever to find them at your favorite sportsbook.
