Esports refers to any type of competitive online video game battles between teams or individuals. This world of competitive video gaming is growing fast and becoming a real international phenomenon.
These competitions normally take place in arenas and stadiums which are filled to the brim with spectators coming from all around the world to watch their favourite players or teams. In this way, it is very comparable to a normal sporting event.
But what sets Esports apart and what makes it truly special is that online streaming services such as Twitch and YouTube often stream these competitions live and for free to billions of viewers all around the world.
It is arguable that at its current rate Esports competitions might usurp the most popular sports worldwide (football and basketball) as the most viewed sporting events sometime in the near future.
Only a decade ago there was serious doubt that competitive online gaming would ever reach the heights it currently sits at in 2021. But now it is clear that Esports events are pulling in higher numbers than most traditional sporting events on any given day.
This is mainstream popularity and staying power was proven by the fact that a single Esports event sold out an arena of 173 000 people in late 2019 while the Superbowl that same year only drew a crowd of around 73 000 people.
The biggest overall Esports viewership (in-person stadium + online streaming viewership) event was the League of Legends mid-season invitational event in 2018. It took place Paris and sold out a stadium of 7000 but also drew an online audience of over 60 million concurrent viewers. The prize pool for the winners of that competition was a little over $1.3 million.
Betting on Esports:
Betting on Esports might seem at first glance a little bit different from traditional sports betting but, in reality, it is not. Traditional sports betting may seem easier but that is most likely because you are familiar with team and player names.
Once you learn about the different genres of gaming and different teams and best players you will soon realise that it is no different from the betting you’ve been doing prior.
Firstly, to make an Esports bet you will need to decide which bet market you are interested in. This means that you need to do a bit of research on which games are the most popular and which games draw in the biggest crowds and online audiences.
Games like League of Legends, Overwatch, Smite, and Call of Duty all pull in large crowds and tournaments often have large prize pools.
Second, get to know the professionals in the market which you’ve chosen. Get on twitch and find some professional gamers, interact with their communities and find out your likelihood of betting success. Just like with any traditional sports betting, learn the odds.
Lastly, try out different bookmakers and Esports betting sites. Like the casinos at https://onlinebingoaustralia.org/ you’ll find plenty of different sportsbooks online.