Competitive video gaming has gained mainstream prominence and is fully deserving of the ‘eSports’ moniker that most people know it by. With more exposure, eSports inevitably appeared on the radar of people who like to bet on various competitions. A majority of leading online platforms are listing major eSports events on their sites, and fans are casually putting money on their favourite teams and players hoping to win along with them, in between playing their Xbox or iGaming on sites akin to
WOOM.BET official.While betting on video game tournaments is legal in most countries, this phenomenon could cause unintended consequences for the gaming industry. We will discuss the connection between eSports and online gambling from multiple perspectives and try to deduce how things will develop in the future.
Why People Bet On eSports
Audience is an integral part of the eSports experience, as major tournaments are followed in real time by a huge number of fans. In most cases, those fans are actually players of the video game in question and they watch in part to learn from the pros and in part to enjoy the action. Because of this, many viewers have a personal link with certain players or teams, and support them in all competitions. It’s not a huge surprise that such support extends into the financial sphere, with fans betting that their idols will prevail in the next event. Thus, a majority of eSports betting is still occurring within the context of the gaming fandom and doesn’t go against its spirit. There are certainly some speculative bettors who are trying to win money, but they generally struggle with the intricate rules of video games and mostly stick to traditional sports instead.
How Easy Is It to Bet On eSports?
On the technical level, placing a bet on any eSports event is extremely simple and can be done with a couple of clicks. You need to be logged in to a sports betting site and have some funds available, but choosing the bet and creating the ticket is completely straightforward if these conditions are met. The real challenge with eSports betting is knowing how to pick the best event and predict the winners. First of all, it’s nearly mandatory to have at least a basic understanding of the game, or you would be making a bet you don’t fully understand. Another crucial element is interpretation of the betting rules for that particular game, along with betting site policies for resolving certain outcomes. Take it all together, and there is quite a bit of research to be completed before you can start making eSports bets with confidence. For this reason, it’s still mostly dedicated fans who participate in gaming anyway.
The Impact of Streaming on eSports Betting
Without live streaming, eSports industry as we know it wouldn’t exist. Since the action of a big eSports match is completely virtual, it’s very easy to show it on digital devices simply by sharing the game screen. That’s a stark contrast to expensive and complicated multi-camera setups with professional crews that are needed to successfully broadcast a conventional sports event. Easy streaming has definitely fuelled faster growth of eSports and may be one of the factors that are generating interest for betting. This trend is particularly visible with the younger generation, which is more likely to subscribe a Twitch or YouTube channel than to watch a well-known sports show on TV. Popular players stream their games on the regular basis and develop relationships with their followers, many of which tip them or support them financially in other ways.
Are Sportsbooks Negatively Affecting eSports?
Whenever money is involved, the purity of sports competition is in danger. Even if small stakes betting is an accepted part of eSports practically since the beginning, it’s fair to ask how good this relationship is on the long term. Already, we can see signs of unhealthy influence from the gambling world corrupting the nascent competitive gaming scene and the temptations will only increase as the financial incentives become larger. Concerns about match fixing, doping, cheating, and other serious issues that have been plaguing traditional sports for decades are now migrating to the virtual stage, with equally devastating results. Finding the right balance between access to unlimited betting options and protecting fairness of eSports won’t be easy and will require coordination between numerous stakeholders.
Should eSports Betting Be More Closely Regulated?
Perhaps the only way to guarantee that gambling interests don’t interfere with development of eSports is to adopt strict controls on both ends. Players participating in high-level tournaments should be vetted more carefully and disqualified if any inappropriate conduct is found, but at the same time online betting shops should monitor their own traffic and report any suspicious trends. Game manufacturers should take a more active role in the process, as they stand to gain the most if their games become sustainable as eSports disciplines. Gambling regulators also need to acquire an awareness about this emerging field and start applying tailor-made measures to keep things both safe and fair. The response of the industry to the dilemma of betting will greatly impact the fortunes of eSports and its role in modern entertainment.
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