Esports is one of the fastest-growing sectors of online gambling and now overshadows many traditional sports. Online bettors will know esports gambling has been around for many years, but we’ve seen interest spike over the last 24 months. Once tucked away at the bottom of the homepage and treated as an afterthought by many bookies and bettors, you’ll now find the esports tab in a prominent position. That reflects the rise in bets and wagers made on the best-loved and most famous competitions. But why are the best sportsbooks online giving esports gamblers the red-carpet treatment all of a sudden?
It may feel like esports betting has crashed onto the scene, coming from nowhere and proving an overnight success but that’s not the case. In fact, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Major online betting apps have been investing in the professional esports industry for some time now, sponsoring competitions and players while increasing the number of markets attached to fixtures. Betting traders have been playing the long game with esports, slowly building it behind the scenes until they felt the time was right to re-brand and re-launch the product to the millions of bettors worldwide.
What is the bookies’ plan regarding esports, and what can we expect to see next? To get a strong understanding of where esports betting is headed, we must know where it has come from. You’ll find all the information you need in this article. We explain when and why esports became a big player in the betting industry and what to look for in an esports betting app.
Esports Betting Filled a Void
Esports betting isn’t new, but it could be described as a niche market. There were bettors who dabbled in esports gambling, sticking to the limited markets and uncompetitive odds, while most other gamblers failed to pay the tab much notice. But that all changed during the first few months of 2020 when COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the professional sports schedule leaving bettors with nothing of interest to wager on.
Many professional sports, including football, horse racing and soccer, were either postponed, canceled or forced behind closed doors. We lost major events, including the Scottish Premiership, Wimbledon and the Grand National. With millions of people around the world forced into lockdown, spending long hours at home with no sport to watch or gamble on, that esports tab suddenly attracted a few more clicks.
Gamblers began to show an interest in the esports fixtures that were going ahead as normal. The pandemic caused minimal damage to the schedule, and bookies saw this as the time to ramp up their coverage. Many began betting on esports out of boredom but quickly became fans of the various different leagues, tournaments and players. Esports gambling has gone from strength to strength since.
Promos, Odds and Live Streaming
As interest continues to grow in betting on esports, you may want to join the party. Perhaps you have already begun your esports gambling adventure but are looking to get more from your betting provider. There are a few things you should look out for when choosing an online gambling app.
Your first stop should be to ensure online betting is legal in your region. If it’s not, please don’t make any attempt to gamble or look for a loophole in the rules. Always respect the laws in your area or the country you are visiting.
If you are able to bet, you should look for a bookie that offers new customers a welcome bonus. These promotions come in many forms, including free bets, enhanced odds, bonus money, cashbacks and profit boosts. The esports tab at your bookie of choice should be packed with competitions, fixtures and betting markets with generous odds available.
After betting on esports, you want a bookie that offers a live streaming tab. This allows you to watch the fixture through an HD quality live stream with in-play betting odds, commentary and live scores. The best bookmakers offer this service to registered customers free of charge, providing you have placed a bet on the outcome of an esports match. Follow your bets on your desktop computer or smartphone from anywhere in the world.
