Gaming started as a fun pastime for players who wanted to embark on virtual adventures. They would play with or against each other, win or lose, and live to try another day. For a long time, gaming was just for players, as other people could only watch the games passively. But e-sports betting changed the entire industry. All of a sudden, even passive watchers could bet on the game’s outcome, enabling them to cultivate interest in the games. This trend has caught on so much that people scour through the UK betting sites list, hoping to find a good site that offers e-sports wagers. We look at how e-sports betting has affected gaming and what this means for everyone:
The E-Sports Betting Impact
E-sports are virtual games where players play against others. The games can be single-player or multi-player, but the goal remains the same – to win. After the games became more popular due to increased accessibility to gaming, it became increasingly clear that they would be ripe for betting. Soon enough, some bookies introduced the betting aspect and were happily surprised to see punters embracing the idea. Punters had long bet on traditional sports and now had the chance to wager on e-sports. The benefits included:
- There was always an e-sports tournament as the games take place constantly. Even when there is no major game, punters are always sure they can wager on a sport, eliminating the seasonal changes common in traditional sports.
- The games had variety. Punters could choose between the major games like CS: GO and the lesser-known titles. They could also change from one genre to the other.
- The odds were competitive: Since e-sports often have close margins, punters often make a lot of money from the games. It is unlike traditional sports, where most teams often have a sizeable margin that reduces the profitability of the odds.
- The games were fast: Traditional games often play out for over an hour. But e-sports are fast and often take minutes to complete. As such, even when a fan only has a few minutes, they can catch a game and enjoy its highs and lows.
These and more perks have pushed more punters to wager on e-sports, which has resulted in a multi-billion dollar industry. But how has this affected the gaming industry?
International Recognition
Before e-sports betting was a thing, many people did not know much about e-sports. They knew that people played games virtually but had no idea that people could earn a living from doing so. The rise in e-sports betting shed light on the lucrativeness of gaming as a career. It also ignited interest from fans who wanted to tune in and watch as people game. These changes had the following effects:
- More gamers enjoyed mainstream acceptance: It is now quite common to encounter people who want to make a living from playing games. While this might not have been the norm decades back, many people now realize that this industry has a huge potential.
- The industry became more popular: For many years, gaming was just for gamers. But now, people who neither play nor bet still have an interest in these sports. They eagerly look forward to games and are major fans of some players and teams.
Without betting, this kind of attention would likely have remained a dream.
Higher Profits
A key reason why gamers have enjoyed the boost in the industry tied to their revenues. In the past, gaming tournaments were few and far between and often did not pay gamers enough to sustain their lifestyles. But now, the interest in this industry has increased revenues so much that people can make millions from just gaming. It comes down to the following:
- Sponsorships: Many companies want to attract gamers and their fans, and they will happily sponsor events where they can get the word out about their existence. As such, gaming companies, software startups, etc., will often support tournaments by providing resources and money to host the events.
- Adverts: Besides sponsorships, many companies use e-sports events to showcase their products and services. Since these events attract many people, such companies often get many leads and sales. And the event organizers thus charge them handsomely for this visibility.
- Tickets: Attending live e-sports events is an amazing opportunity for many fans. But to do so, they must part with some money, which often facilitates the success of the event.
E-sports tournaments have increased in number and revenue generation. And, of course, punters also benefit from this popularity as the games attract many wagers, boosting the odds and payouts.
Better Games
The increased attention to games and players has pushed game developers to put their best foot forward. After all, gamers demand the best quality, and so do the punters. And developers who can release games that appeal to the masses will end up on the winning side. As a result, more games have made their way into the market, enabling players and fans to enjoy the following:
- Stability: Games must be stable throughout the gameplay to ensure that there are no doubts about the clear winner. Most of the top-rated games have undergone many boosts to ensure they never fail their players.
- Accessibility: The popularity of gaming has pushed many people to try it. And since many people have smartphones, the demand for mobile-friendly games has increased. Many game developers have worked on mobile versions that offer the same features as their PC versions, which has allowed more people to enjoy the games.
- Graphics: With more people paying attention to the games, the need for better graphics has only grown. Developers have worked hard to meet this need by improving the graphics quality without interfering with the stability of the games.
Games are now available on mobile, desktop, and console devices.
Hardware Development
While many casual gamers enjoy playing on their phones, professional gamers require specialized equipment to beat their opponents. This need has created an opportunity for hardware companies that can focus on gaming hardware. Gaming equipment has evolved over the years to feature high-performance peripherals, processing units, and high-quality displays. Besides gaming hardware, many companies have also specialized in making gaming stations that come fully fitted for gamers to spend hours in-game without tiring.
Career Creation
When people think of careers resulting from e-sports betting, they often think of gamers. And while they make up a significant percentage of the people earning from e-sports betting, many other careers have grown from this boost in the industry, including:
- Punters: People who specialize in betting on e-sports have found that the games are highly lucrative.
- Vloggers and bloggers: Many people train others on how to play games or place wagers.
- Bookies: Betting companies have jumped on the chance to be part of this new evolution and have benefited a lot.
The industry has shaped many people’s lives and is sure to have an even bigger impact in the coming decades.
The Future
While e-sports betting has already boosted gaming, predictions show that its impact will be bigger in the next phase due to the following changes:
- Live bets: Many bookies have now incorporated live bets, which allow punters to capitalize on in-game changes and profit more from their wagers.
- Virtual reality (VR): Punters will be able to attend e-sports tournaments from their homes by wearing VR headsets that will allow them to be part of this virtual world. Many bookies have already started testing this on traditional sports and will be quick to replicate this to e-sports.
These changes are but the tip of the iceberg, and we are sure to see more changes once the industry hits its stride.
