The upcoming Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Melbourne 2025 event scheduled to take place in April is guaranteed to spark a massive betting boom in Australia.
The prestigious Counter-Strike 2 tournament features 16 of the world’s top eSports teams who will be battling to grab a share of the $1 million prize pool.
Thousands of fans flocked to the previous edition in Sydney in 2023, and organisers are expecting another sold-out crowd to be in attendance this time around.
IEM Melbourne 2025 will also generate a ton of activity in the Australian betting industry, with sportsbooks set to offer a plethora of markets at the event.
Many of the finest betting sites in Australia provide extensive coverage of eSports leagues and tournaments, and they will be inundated with wagers when the action gets underway.
The event begins with a group stage from April 21-23, where 16 teams will compete in double-elimination brackets. The line-up is as follows:
- Spirit (VRS Europe)
- Vitality (VRS Europe)
- NAVI (VRS Global)
- Eternal Fire (VRS Europe)
- FaZe Clan (VRS Global)
- The MongolZ (VRS Asia)
- MOUZ (VRS Global)
- World Liquid (VRS Americas)
- Virtus.pro (VRS Global)
- GamerLegion (VRS Global)
- Falcons (VRS Global)
- Brazil paiN (VRS Americas)
- 3DMAX (VRS Global)
- Brazil MIBR (VRS Global)
- BIG (VRS Global)
- Australia FlyQuest (VRS Asia)
Matches in the group stage are played in a best-of-three format. The top six teams advance to the play-offs, where the quarter-finals and semi-finals keep the best-of-three structure.
IEM Melbourne 2025 culminates with a best-of-five final at the iconic Rod Laver Arena on April 27. FaZe Clan triumphed in 2023 and will fancy their chances of repeating the feat in Melbourne.
Australia will be represented by FlyQuest, while top Aussie eSports star Justin ‘jks’ Savage will fly the local flag on Team Liquid.
The tournament is the latest example of eSports’ rise from obscurity to becoming one of the most lucrative sectors in the world.
Global betting on professional gaming events generates an estimated annual revenue of $2.25 billion, highlighting just how popular eSports has become.
Now officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), eSports appears to be on course to become a genuine rival to traditional sports over the next few years.
Many gambling operators have already recognized its potential by forging strong links with eSports organizations through sponsorships.
Technology companies are also eager to muscle in on the action – a point evidenced by a recent link-up between two pioneers of eSports data innovations.
PandaScore has partnered with FeedConstruct to strengthen the sports data and streaming provider’s Odds Aggregation platform.
Their odds feed has been added to FeedConstruct’s offering to sports betting operators, allowing the latter’s partner brands to access more than 300 unique eSports markets.
PandaScore’s Head of B2B, Oliver Niner, said: “Betting on eSports has become a significant market in its own right and more and more operators now want to offer it to players as they look to reach new audiences.
“But eSports bettors are discerning and expect a great selection of markets across all the major disciplines as well as good odds and products that allow them to bet the way they want to.
“We are delighted to be able to offer this to more operators than ever before via this agreement with FeedConstruct – a company that also understands the power and potential of eSports betting.”
PandaScore has reportedly exceeded €3.5bn in processed bets since its launch, highlighting how eSports has become a popular pick with punters worldwide.
Their new partnership with FeedConstruct will enhance the coverage offered by Australian operators during IEM Melbourne 2025, thus boosting engagement with sports bettors.
Arsen Baghdasaryan, Head of Business Development at FeedConstruct, is confident the deal will have a major impact on eSports betting during the upcoming tournament and beyond.
“Operators can seamlessly integrate multiple feeds through a single integration, eliminating the hassle of content mapping,” he said.
“We take care of the complexities, allowing our partners to focus on what matters most – delivering an exceptional experience to their audience.”
