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eSports is one of the newest forms of making online wagers. Up until a few years ago, punters would never had considered betting on virtual games, but now, eSports make up a good chunk of the betting industry and projections say that it will continue to grow. These wagering markets have become so popular that there are already eSports events taking place, like the eSports Betting Summit planned that took place last month in London, in which the leaders from this niche came together to discuss plans for the future.
It was Asian players that were the original catalyst behind the growth of eSports. Many people in countries like Korea have long praised the best Starcraft, (an online eSports game) as celebrities. There are international eSports tournaments, which have drawn larger crowds than the NBA finals and main broadcasters like ESPN have given eSports center-stage in much of its television programming.
Present at the Biggest Sportsbooks
The biggest online sportsbooks in the world like bet365 Sports, William Hill and Betway Sports offer hundreds of eSports markets on a daily basis, and they have seen vast increased traffic due to this new market. These famed sportsbooks offer competitive lines on eSports events like the incredibly popular League of Legends, World of Tanks, Star Craft 2, Quake, and more. In addition, there are even major championships held by Major League Gaming in the US with million-dollar prize pools.
The Future is eSports
eSports is serious business, even having an International eSports Federation, which was founded in 2008. Countries like Germany, South Korea, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland and Taiwan are all focused on having their governments recognize eSports as legitimate sports. Once approved, this could lead to the next generation of professional sporting events and more.
EA Sports has invested vast resources in the development of an entire division for creating eSports games and international competitions. Even Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard has taken huge steps to a more professional eSPorts platform by acquiring Major League Gaming (MLG) for a whopping $46 million. This deal is one of the most significant to date and will give Activision full access to MLG, including its first-rate content streaming platform, competitive leagues, and live gaming events.
