Over the last decade, the eSports industry as a whole has taken a large step forward. We have seen more money come into the industry, a far bigger audience watching, and ultimately more people playing the games themselves.
There are many factors for this, but one of them has been the relationship between eSports and betting, which has allowed the industry to reach a large number of people it normally wouldn’t have.
With sites such as Twitch streaming competitions, the industry was pretty closed, and tough to access for those who didn’t have much gaming knowledge. Now things have changed.
Betting Opens Up a New Door for eSports
With betting available on a wide range of eSports battles and competitions, a new door has been opened for the industry. Now we are at a stage where eSports fans could come from a background that doesn’t include gaming.
In the past, the vast majority of eSports fans, if not all of them, were gamers, now that is no longer the case. It is possible to be a fan of a sport because you bet on it, something like horse racing would be a perfect example of that, there are very very few horse racing fans who don’t have a bet.
The betting websites which offer eSports gaming odds in India show the kind of service that is out there, it is very impressive. Like many traditional betting sports, there are multiple ways in which you can bet on eSports, and you can even bet in play while the action is taking place.
With so much on offer from a betting perspective, anyone who is a general gambler and interested in betting on multiple sports will certainly be looking at eSports as somewhere they can wager their money.
When someone enjoys gambling on a particular event, they become interested, start searching for news about it and follow social media channels. It is at this point where the eSports industry needs to be wise and try to get these people on board as gamblers and fans, not just gamblers.
Can Gamblers Become eSports Fans?
If the eSports industry is to branch out and be a force to be reckoned with in the future then they need to convert gamblers into fans, just like we have said above.
The way to move up in the world is all about people, the sport needs to attract more ticket sales, more watchers at home, more people following on social media and more people buying merchandise.
That will all look good to any prospective TV deals that could come in the future, it will look good to sponsors and there will be a general uplifting in the minds of people regarding where eSports stands.
The Future of the Relationship Between Bookmakers and eSports
During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, we had a period where no, or very little, sport was taking place. This was a time when eSports became the sole focus for many bookmakers. Players were taking each other on remotely, and this gave the bookmakers something to offer betting on.
They were saved by the eSports industry, only for a small period of time, but hopefully this is something that isn’t forgotten.
In the future it would be great to see the betting industry give something back. The most obvious way to do this is for one of the bookmakers who offer eSports betting to sponsor a big event. Putting their name to something would get their name in lights, they would attract players because they are seen as being a big eSports bookmaker.
However, it would also give eSports something back in the form of payment for the deal, so prize money can be increased and other elements of the competition can be paid for.
We seem to be one big deal away from a huge relationship between these two industries.
The Benefit to the Gaming Industry as a Whole
The more people that become fans of eSports, regardless of their path, the more chance of an increase in sales of consoles and games.
Those watching the battles take place will want to emulate what they are seeing and try their luck. They can do that on the new Xbox Series X console that has been released, one that offers next-gen gaming to those who buy.
The gaming industry as a whole will see a benefit from eSports attracting new players, and the impact of that on sales around the globe should not be underestimated.
