There are two new forms of betting which are taking the online betting industry by storm at the present moment in time. The first of these is Virtual Sports betting, which is now the third largest revenue stream for bookmakers online, only behind football and horse racing betting. The other is the exciting world of betting on esports tournaments and competitions taking place around the world today.
For those not in the know, Virtual Sports are games that simulate a real life sports event in a short period of time (usually between 3-5 minutes) to generate a series of results which people can bet on before the event starts. Esports is entirely different in that it is simply betting on a number of computer game tournaments that take place every day, all over the world.
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Let’s now learn a little more about the esports industry and the betting markets you can find available for it at bet365 Sport.
What is Esports?
Esports are the generic name given to tournaments based on a number of popular computer/console games. Players play against each other in the game either individual, in pairs or in teams to try and win the game. As each esports game is different, the strategy required to win the game and the goals you need to achieve vary from game to game.
Games are usually played over the best of one, two, three or five depending on the esport in question and the tournament rules. Esports can be games that are either free to download and play, or ones that need to be purchased by the individual in order to gain access. Players then hone their skills alone and against other players and the very, very best players can then be signed up as professional players for esports teams and organisations.
The esports industry is a rapidly growing one and by 2019, it is reckoned that it will be worth over a billion dollars annually, although the possibility for that to increase markedly in coming years remains huge.
Hand in hand with the development of esports, has been the chance to bet on the outcome via esports betting. A few years ago, esports betting, even at a site like bet365, was somewhat basic, but as companies have hired experts with greater knowledge and understanding of the industry, and the industry has grown more mainstream, the range of esports you can bet on, the number of bets available and the types of bet you can make have increased markedly over the last few years.
With many colleges and universities now offering esports scholarships and a range of careers within the industry available, not just as a team owner or professional player, esports could be the career of the future which you can bet on today.
What are the most popular Esports games that tend to have betting available on them?
Although any computer game which two or more players could play against each other could be classed as an esport, out of the many thousands of games out there today, there are relatively few that have gained a massive esports following. The biggest esports games (and the ones you are most likely to find betting on) are as follows:
- Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) – A team based first-person perspective shooter where teams must complete tasks and/or eliminate their opponents to win the map.
- Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA2) – A multi-player battle arena where two teams of players pick Champions to represent them on screen and to do battle against another team across a map.
- League of Legends (LoL) – A similar set up to DOTA 2, in that this is a a multi player battle arena game which sees teams pick from characters in order to build a team. The team then strategises how to play and defeat their opposing team.
- StarCraft II (SCII) – An individual arcade and strategy-based game which pits three races of beings against each other in a battle for supremacy.
- Overwatch – A first person shooter with strategic elements which sees teams of players compete against each other.
- Call of Duty – A series of first person shooter games with strategic elements, though perhaps less strategic than CSGO and Overwatch.
- FIFA – A soccer simulation where individuals or teams of two players compete against each other in a variety of tournaments to win matches.
- Madden – An American Football simulation game from EA Sports.
- Rocket League – A soccer-based game featuring Rockets and other vehicles which are controlled by players rather than players to win the game in a variety of arenas.
- Fortnight & PUBG – Two massively multiplayer online battle arena games where players have to defeat opponents and strategize until they are the final player remaining on their map.
What are the biggest esports tournaments?
Some of the biggest esports tournaments you can bet on each year are as follows:
- The International (DOTA2)
- Dota Pro Circuit Tournaments
- Intel Grand Slam Tournaments (CS:GO)
- League of Legends World Championships
- FIFA Road to the eWorld Cup
- Overwatch World League
- CSGO Intel Extreme Masters Series
- CSGO ESL Pro League
- Call of Duty World League (forthcoming)
- DreamHack Series of Tournaments
- World Electronic Games
- Global Starcraft League
- League of Legends Rift Rivals
- League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational
The industry however is growing at a rapid rate and new tournaments, some with extensive prize money that attracts the very top teams, are being devised and originated every year. The new Call of Duty World League for example, is due to be set up and start in 2020 and will follow the same franchise model of the successful Overwatch League.
Is esports betting legit?
Absolutely. You don’t become a 1-billion-dollar industry if you are not legitimate and esports has grown massively over the years to become precisely that. Esports gaming is now starting to become far more mainstream with main TV channels now covering some of the top tournaments around the world, as well as extensive coverage of lots of tournaments every day via Live Streaming services.
Indeed, even bet365 have been known to stream some esports tournament action to its customers in recent times.
At the highest level, for which betting is offered, esports teams and players are subject to stringent rules, regulations and laws regarding the game. The penalties for anyone cheating are as severe, if not more so, as you would find in any regular sport, such as football, horse racing, tennis or similar.
Competitors in some leagues even get regularly drug tested to ensure they comply with fair play rules and all these top-level players tend to be professionals, some earning millions from their abilities each year.
It may seem an unusual industry to someone who has been brought up with an interest in sports or sports betting, but esports is even being courted by some as a sport for inclusion in future Olympic Games. It has already become part of the Asian Games and with the development of new massive tournaments, such as the forthcoming Call of Duty World League, it is likely that interest in esports and esports betting is only going to grow exponentially over the coming years.
Which is why it is a great time to start getting to grips with esports and perhaps enjoying a flutter on a few esports markets yourself at bet365 Sport.
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