Esports betting has been going through constant growth with a very exciting phase that has provided an additional boost. Many of the bookmakers who invested into it in the past are already seeing the fruits of their work, while many others still struggle to see a value there. Yet it is extremely simple: if your betting solution is far from being engaging and you do not care about esports fans, why should those same fans come to you? The truth is that esports bettors are from different generations, they’re mainly zoomers and millennials. They’re more demanding and they are not easy to engage.
Some operators have already started to realise that their current esports offering is not good enough to attract these demographics. But once they integrate a truly engaging solution and attract esports fans authentically, their volumes will significantly increase. Esports already has a massive fanbase and it has been growing steadily every year, while most of the traditional sports are losing popularity among younger audiences. The future of esports betting looks bright.
Markets with high growth potential
Scandinavia and CIS are already huge when it comes to esports betting, ticking two major boxes: esports has come to the mainstream, and betting is legal. There is a huge potential in Asia. The next big growth will come from America, though, both North and LatAm. The esports fan base is already significant and at the same time very specific. For example, in Brazil it would be all about CS:GO, while for Columbia, it would be Dota2. Mexico will be more inclined to favour League of Legends. Along with this, another story for LatAm will be the huge growth of mobile esports – and that will be followed by betting.
A separate topic is the US. There are certain indications that the US esports market is already huge albeit mainly run by offshore bookies as the regulatory landscape still limits official betting. Oddin wants to become a thought leader in discussions with regulatory bodies in the US to help better position esports and address concerns. There is a huge opportunity in the US market for the first movers to grab a significant market share for the years to come. The process can take a while, but they will eventually get there.
Marek Suchar is the Head of Partnerships at Oddin.gg, a B2B esports odds feed and risk management provider. Oddin.gg delivers the most engaging esports betting experience with industry-leading uptime and a number of live markets.