There are numerous things to bet on if you can legally gamble in your home country. You have sports of many kinds, markets upon markets, microbets, and many other criteria that can help you have fun.
Now that the world is moving forward with new betting avenues, it can be very interesting to see some of them presented contextually. It’s a macro point of view that gives you an interesting perspective on the popularity of a betting style.
As the title of our article showcases, we will address eSports as a very serious betting sector. It’s something that is worth assessing, as exclusive data from betbrain shows that there is a grassroots level of interest in every facet of such wagering.
This will be our opportunity to talk about what you should understand about eSports, how it meshes with betting, and what factors explain the growth.
We have much to discuss, and we will try to make things as transparent and explicative as possible. Read carefully, and we hope you enjoy our piece!
What qualifies as eSports?
The definition of eSports is that they are video games played competitively and at a professional level. Unlike the casual nature of playing such games, eSports require preparation, synergy, and teams that participate in tournaments and leagues.
There are many ways in which we can draw parallels to traditional sports.
- They both have grassroots levels of amateur play that lead to recruitment. Pro sports recruit players as children and develop them in their academy and youth systems. The eSports feeder system identifies talented players from public servers and develops them into professionals.
- The amateur level has almost nothing to do with the professional level. Once a player makes the transition to the pros, the expectations and required preparation rise to much higher demands.
- Professional teams are also commercial entities. The most popular eSports teams have started to rake in high-level sponsorships, together with official apparel and media attributes.
These arguments should communicate one simple thing: the eSports world has caught up to traditional sports in various ways. It has done so because of the revenue that it generates.
The value of betting on eSports
A strong part behind the rising tide of eSports visibility and viability is the money that it makes via gambling. It’s a reality that not everybody accepts and appreciates, but it’s an undeniable part of why this sport has risen in popularity.
As we’ve alluded to during the introduction of this article, data support the idea that this market is doing incredibly well. Per an eSports betting analysis report from ResearchAndMarkets, the forecast for 2026 is that it will exceed $14 billion in total size.
This doesn’t even take into account the fact that the expected CAGR, the main metric of calculating exponential growth, is over 11% for this particular decade. This is why the market is expected to reach $21 billion in value by 2030.
Factors of growth
There are numerous reasons why eSports betting is enticing. We say that these qualify as standard explanations that are fundamental to the popularity of the medium. Market growth comes from other factors that we will discuss a bit later.
For now, I’d like to bring to your attention some fundamental reasons why this betting sector has managed to be popular on a basic level:
- Bettors are also players of said game since it’s accessible and, often, free to play. This means that they have a real know-how that allows them to know the betting criteria that they select.
- Betting on certain competitors also means living vicariously through them. As we all know, this level of empathy is what drives people to have heroes in athletes. The case of eSports is basically identical, but the connection is a bit closer.
- Certain professional eSports players are also content creators, giving a better idea of the perspective and skills of said competitors. It’s a fun and engaging way to do a semblance of research on what to expect from such players during their pro circuit participation.
Now that we’ve set the stage in this front, it’s time to talk about some verifiable reasons why the betting market has grown so much.
1. Wider demographic distribution
According to an interview with Vlastimil Venclik, the CEO of the eSports betting platform Oddin.gg, there is a very interesting development that they observed as far back as 2024: women are getting more into this field.
While competitive video games have long been associated with the male population, the gender barrier is coming down. Female fans are starting to get into this field even more, changing industry perceptions and creating a clearer path toward universal interest.
This is a major cog in the machine that brings eSports even more to the forefront of popularity. It’s a trend that also applies on a geographical level, with a rising tide in:
- Latin America, which seems to be the most important geo for this exponential growth. Games like Counter Strike 2 and DOTA 2 are the most bet, showing the interest of a young and eager-to-bet population.
- The USA is still warming up to eSports, even if the tide of change feels a bit delayed. Despite an initial interest from traditional sports ownership and their entry into operating pro teams, this enthusiasm waned a bit. The infrastructure of this market is still finding its footing in the States, leading to a resurgence in popularity.
- Africa’s increasingly alert digitalization means that eSports is a carryover. As the population, young as it is, discovers online gaming and betting, eSports is getting its own shine.
In Europe and East Asia, the market is already mature and established, which is why it’s more of a case of stability.
2. Tech upside (AI and mobile access)
This factor, along with the next that we will discuss, is harder to truly fathom. Therefore, we will talk about it more generally because of how variety impacts our ability to provide a pinpointed analysis.
The overarching principle is about providing better access and a more streamlined experience for all the bettors. If you’re a current consumer of eSprots betting, you know how it translates.
If you’re new or just an unassuming person with an interest in this medium:
- Mobile access is all about the ability to have an ideal wagering experience directly on your handheld device. The mobile gambling market has grown exponentially because the gambling industry understands the upside of this medium.
- Artificial intelligence leverages automation as a way to make things simpler and much more personalized. It gives you the ability to easily find what to bet on, especially if the model understands your preferences and comes up with suggestions.
3. Depth and integration of live data
As for this last factor, we will talk about a series of developments that, at face value, are also tech-related.
However, they’re less about the accessibility of the betting service itself and more about how they enrich your experience as a gambler. It sets you up for a better understanding of the competition, which is a responsible way to assess your options.
- The depth of a betting model revolves around the markets that you can opt for. Standard options are mostly about choosing who wins, the number of games won within a series, and who the MVP might be.
Depth would also bring you betting markets like over/unders for kills, assists, dragons, headshots, and so on. It’s about providing as many criteria as possible for the sake of a deeply personalized model.
- Live data feed integrations are what can enhance the depth. When you make decisions that are inherently risky because of gambling, you want all the information that you can. Its role is to assist your eye test, which is almost as important.
Having real-time data in front of you is a good way to make numerical checks as you watch the game, which can help you spot opportunities and patterns.
Conclusion
To finalize our article, there are various developments that are actively improving the experience of betting on eSports. The medium has done a good job making this apparent, hence the rising tide in popularity and ensuing growth.
This market will likely continue to become increasingly important, which is why it’s worth monitoring.
If you’d also like to get involved, we kindly ask you to bet responsibly and be careful!
