Analysis: The Connection Between the Rise of eSports and Online Gambling

The past months were very difficult for the gaming industry. In this weird situation, a new alliance formed between esports and online gambling. One is living with the never returning opportunity while the other tries to survive by favoring new markets.

If you follow the latest gambling news you can read more about esports day by day. Even if it’s not completely in the common sense, in the world of online gambling and mostly betting, you probably heard about this unique industry. Anyhow, probably you weren’t aware of the strong relation between esports and online gambling. Let’s take a closer look together.

How online gambling led a lot of punters to the world of esports

If you take a look at the esports betting options for example at the 1xBET Sportsbook, you can see plenty of wagers on countless games. As the continuous event cancellations came, a lot of gamblers around the world discovered the world of esports by themselves. That’s how esports betting in 2020 became what it is. After the increased interest, online operators opened new markets. Therefore, people who didn’t even hear about esports before turned into potential viewers and wagerers.

A lot of promotions and advertisements focused on esports bets. However, most people weren’t interested in the “real esports” like CS:GO and League of Legends, more like in FIFA. In conclusion, these punters are looking for something that can function as a substitute for football and other sports. Even if these markets were only boosted until the big championships like the Premier League resumed, operators successfully converted a lot of punters in the long term as well.

IIEC in 2019 – Image source: Chongkian / CC BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons

Esports and online gambling are both continuously developing industries

If we are looking for the reasons for the strong connection between esports and online gambling, there is a pretty obvious one. As they are sharing the virtual platforms they are the entertainment of the future. The tradition of betting is slowly reformed itself and moved to a way more easily accessible form. And esports? It’s the technical sport of the next generations which requires mechanical skills instead of strength and agility. As our world is changing and our future is on a virtual horizon, these industries have bigger popularity day by day. Slowly the next generation will be the earning class, thus operators will adapt their products to their taste. A great example is the new MMO Slots, which represent how young adults attracted to virtual realities.

Also, we always want something new. And in the world of esports and online gambling, there is always something new. A new game, or just visual upgrades. The consumers’ behavior is changing faster than ever and these forms of virtual entertainment can easily move with the flow. Even more, as we could see in the past months, they can stay alive in the most difficult moments of the economy. While landbased gambling institutions like the betting shops in Ireland are facing unsolvable difficulties, online operators can stay on foot if they do the right moves at the right time.

In summary, the connection between esports and online gambling is coming from that they are both represent the entertainment of the future. Thus, they must rely on each other, since the conservative authorities won’t give them the necessary support.