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The eSports industry and its growth had a tremendous impact on the global online casino market, as will be discussed further. However, before we get there, let’s briefly explore the origin of eSports. To do so, we need to go back to 1972.
This was the year when home gaming consoles became common. While eSports that we know and follow today is relatively young and new, competitive video gaming has been around for decades. The very first Space Invaders competitive tournament was held in 1980. The game had over 10,000 participants.
In 1981, the very first Donkey Kong tournament took place, and it was equally popular among video gamers. In the early 90s, Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter professional tournaments and competitions grew globally. In 1998, the inaugural Starcraft 2 tournament was held. This was a significant event with over seven million participants and over fifty million viewers.
While these are all iconic games, first-person shooter games lead in terms of popularity today. Even those who are not so familiar with eSports heard of Call of Duty, Starcraft, Overwatch, and Counter-Strike. The eSports industry gained vital momentum at the beginning of the 2000s thanks to the Electronic Sports World Cup and the World Cyber Games.
In 2002, the inaugural Major League Gaming event also took place. Four years later, the first televised video gaming event happened; the rest is history.
How does eSports Affect the Online Casino Industry?
According to the latest financial reports, the global online casino gaming industry is worth over $59. Experts believe that the iGaming industry will reach a value of over $92 billion by the end of 2023. In other words, the value of the market will double in the next two years.
When it comes to eSports betting and the global eSports industry, the market generated revenues of over $1 billion in 2021. Most industries have experienced quite a few changes in the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. The most recent technological achievements have also affected all different industries and sectors in one way or another.
Two industries that have continued to thrive despite the various challenges that the coronavirus pandemic brought are the eSports and iGaming sectors. The global eSports industry has grown massively in the last two years, thanks to the fantastic work of companies such as Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, and Electronic Arts.
Following the significant expansion of the eSports industry, the iGaming industry benefited in many ways, which also includes improving players’ decision-making skills. The best online casinos do offer not only impeccable casino gaming sessions but also eSports casino gambling opportunities to their eSports fans and enthusiasts.
Professional eSports Players Made Online Gambling More Realistic
Back to the significant impact of the eSports industry on the iGaming industry. The development of professional eSports players is one of the most important benefits of the rising eSports industry in online casinos. While sports betting existed many years before eSports became mainstream, most sports bettors did it purely for fun. No real motivation was involved, at least for the majority of bettors.
There is always a possibility to earn some funds, but the sports betting industry was not as competitive as today with all the different eSports tournaments ad events. Thanks to the advent of these events, the entire eSports industry was utterly transformed, and the best casino sites benefited greatly from this success.
The rise of the eSports industry has also changed the way players communicate with each other. eSports was able to connect people residing across the globe. The opportunity to make real money at gaming tournaments encouraged more individuals to try their luck at professional eSports tournaments and events.
What this did to the global iGaming industry is made it more realistic. This also encouraged gamblers to improve their skills and take the whole gaming scene more seriously.
Rise of eSports Presented Greater Financial Opportunities to Online Casino Players
According to this report published by Statista, the global eSports industry is expected to generate revenues of over $1,6 billion in 2024. This is a significant increase when compared to gross revenues generated by the market in 2021.
Regarding revenues, the biggest eSports markets are North America and Asia. China accounts for over one-fifth of the entire market. The biggest share of the industry’s revenues comes from advertising and sponsorships.
In 2021, the market generated over $641 million from advertising and sponsorships. Over $192 million was collected from media rights. As estimated in 2021, over 474 million people across the globe are involved in the eSports industry in some way, with the most popular games getting tens of millions of players each. It is estimated that the global eSports audience will exceed 577 million individuals two years from now.
The rise of eSports presented greater financial opportunities to online casino players thanks to all the different eSports casinos and other betting options. The best online casinos are also known for offering their players more competitive betting odds on most major eSports events.
The winning opportunities are endless, and we can thank the rise of eSports betting for this.
Younger Audiences are Now More Involved in the iGaming Industry
When discussing the impact of eSports on the rise of online casino gaming, we have to mention the younger audience. Traditionally, older audiences were primarily involved with sports betting. While this is perfectly fine, the influx of competitive video gaming and eSports encouraged younger audiences to participate in this exciting and often rewarding pastime.
With younger audiences becoming more involved in online casino gambling and sports betting, the entire sector was finally pushed into another exciting growth era. Achieving this would have taken several more years with older audiences.
Esports betting has also made iGaming safer, encouraging online casino operators to invest more time and money into boosting their security. The latest technological advancements have also played an important role in the rise of both sectors.
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