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Sport is a serious business in the US. Live sports are watched by more than 154 million people in the country and a large portion of those also enjoy a flutter on the games. This is reflected in the revenue generated by the industry here, which was pushing $1 billion in 2019.
The eSports industry is still a long way behind traditional sports in terms of spectator figures, but the numbers are rising rapidly. A lot of bookies are now offering markets on competitive gaming as well, and there is a chance that this could overtake regular betting in the future.
Bookies Offering ESports Markets
In recent years, several bookies in the US that had previously only dealt in the big sports leagues like the NFL, MLB, and NBA have begun to take notice of the blossoming eSports scene. Indeed, when looking at the top US betting sites, it is notable that the comparison tools state that most of the sites offer eSports alongside regular sports markets. Bettors can stake on different events, games, and leagues.
Technology has brought eSports to the fore in recent years, and the industry has gained credibility due to the advanced mechanics used in the games. Some of the top eSports, such as Fortnite and League of Legends, give players the platform to master the skills and tactics required to make it to the top of the games and have a chance at beating anyone in the world. This has given rise to the eSports athlete, who is someone that is considered to be able to play the games at a higher level than a standard gamer.
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Because there is so much skill involved with the games now, betting on them has become a legitimate business. This is because more of the aspects of the game come down to skill nowadays, rather than having a reliance on RNG to decide the outcome. Bettors can take many factors like form and past statistics into account when placing their bets, just as they would when betting on football or baseball.
Competitive Gaming Has Limitless Potential For Expansion
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One reason why it could be reasonable to think that eSports betting could one day overtake the traditional sports betting market is down to the fact that the young industry is continuing to grow and has limitless potential for expansion. In 2020, revenue from the eSports sector as a whole exceeded $1 billion for the first time, and some of this revenue was generated from betting.
There are a few major eSports that rule the roost at the moment, but there is also the potential for newer games to crop up and bring in large audiences. Because a lot of games are live-streamed, they can reach people all over the world.
Bettors in the US are starting to take eSports seriously, and there is serious scope for the industry to expand exponentially in the years ahead. There is a real chance that betting on competitive gaming could overtake staking on traditional sports one day in the future.
