From the inception of two-player games, there was a tilt towards what we now recognize as Esports. As early as 1958, Tennis for Two showcased players engaging in a rudimentary exchange of a pixelated ball, hinting at the competitive nature of gaming to come.
By 2023, the rise of Esports has been meteoric. As BetB2B points out, “Esports has burgeoned into one of the most lucrative industries, drawing investors globally to its multi-billion-dollar potential.” The global Esports audience now boasts over 474 million enthusiasts, with projections estimating this number to soar past 577 million by 2024.
BetB2B: Esport’s journey from humble beginnings to a Billion-dollar industry
1972 marked a watershed moment in the Esports narrative when Stanford University became the venue for the pioneering Esports tournament. Termed the “Intergalactic Olympiad”, it featured 24 contestants from various educational hubs vying for supremacy in the game, Spacewar. Players piloted spaceships, battling to outdo their rivals. The victor’s spoils? An annual subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. This competition symbolized the apex of tireless endeavors by 1960s and 70s engineers and tech mavens. Their relentless quest for technological excellence paved the way for these young enthusiasts to bring video game competitions into reality.
Fast forward to 1980, and the Esports realm witnessed a seismic event: the inaugural large-scale video game competition featuring Space Invaders on the Atari platform. This groundbreaking tournament profoundly shaped Esports’ trajectory. A decade later, in 1990, another significant milestone was etched into Esport’s history – the Nintendo World Gaming Championship with prizes: a hefty $10,000, a car, a grand 40-inch television, and a gold trophy.
Throughout the 1990s, Nintendo stood as a stalwart champion for Esports, orchestrating a series of international tournaments that significantly propelled the industry forward. The 1990 Nintendo World Championships was a notable beginning, uniting players across North America, Europe, and Australia. Spanning 29 cities in the U.S., the event categorized participants based on age. The high-stakes finale unfolded at Universal Studios Hollywood in California, challenging contenders to accumulate maximum points across three iconic games: Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris.
Carrying forth the legacy, 1991 witnessed the unveiling of the Nintendo Campus Challenge. This grand event culminated in a spectacular showdown at Disneyland. Then, in 1994, the world bore witness to the Nintendo PowerFest, cementing Nintendo’s reputation as a pivotal force in the burgeoning Esports arena.
The dawn of Esport leagues and the nod from the international Olympic Committee – BetB2B Overview
By the twilight of the 1990s, Esports had begun to solidify its presence with the inception of dedicated leagues. The Cyberathlete Professional League, emerging as one of the most renowned, was established in 1997 in the US. A mere year post its formation, this league hosted a tournament flaunting a $15,000 prize pool. Over its decade-long run, it distributed a staggering sum surpassing three million dollars in rewards.
Esports fever is now sweeping across the globe, captivating millions. Live match broadcasts are readily accessible on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, and even mainstream television. Fans are not merely engrossed in gameplay; they’re also treated to expert analyses, and a peek into the lives of players beyond the battleground.
Undoubtedly, one of the most monumental moments in Esports’ timeline was its acknowledgment by the Olympic Games’ governing body. In 2017, the International Olympic Committee officially recognized Esports as a sport, laying the foundation for its potential inclusion in future Olympic agendas.
With the escalating allure of computer games, the horizon seems promising for Esports. The surge in its popularity doesn’t only resonate with the younger generation but also acts as an investment magnet. Titans of the gaming industry are fervently supporting Esports, orchestrating grand tournaments and granting licenses for their blockbuster games to be showcased in professional championships.
Interactive games like PUBG, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty Mobile are currently making waves, drawing in millions of players and spectators. Emergen Research analysts predict that the Esports sector’s revenue will touch the $5.1 billion mark by 2028. Remarkably, during the pandemic, there was a surge of 170% in the industry’s growth, largely attributed to the postponement or cancellation of numerous major traditional sports events. This trend saw a surge in bookmakers pivoting to Esports betting. BetB2b platform’s portfolio consists of bets on minigames within popular videogames like Dota2, CS:GO, Warcraft III, Call of Duty, FIFA, Mortal Kombat, Esports Football, Esports Table Tennis and Esports Billiards, among others. In the BetB2b platform’s sportsbook, there are over 600 esports events and more than 350 live esports broadcasts every week.
According to insights from BetB2B, the Esports betting arena is on the brink of substantial growth. The market’s revenue is forecasted to hit US$2.34 billion by 2023. The sector is also predicted to grow at an 8.05% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2023 to 2027, leading to an estimated market worth of US$3.19 billion by 2027. These figures highlight the vast potential and lucrative prospects present in the Esports betting domain.
BetB2B: The expanding demographics of Esport and betting engagement
Once viewed as a youthful pastime, Esports has transcended that niche and now captivates a more diverse crowd. Notably, women, who account for 4% of active Esport participants, constitute 30% of its viewership. In an arena largely dominated by men, these figures showcasing female engagement are noteworthy.
BetB2B analysts provide insights suggesting a potential upward trend in women’s engagement in Esport betting: “Our research forecasts the percentage of women placing bets on Esports could approach 15% in the near future. The majority of individuals involved in Esport betting fall within the 23-25 age bracket, but there’s a growing interest evident across various age segments. It’s worth highlighting that a substantial segment of this audience is based in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Top-Tier Esport games that dominating today’s:
- Action Games: This genre boasts iconic titles like Mortal Kombat, Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter V, and Brawlhalla.
- Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs): Dominated by heavy-hitters like League of Legends and Dota 2.
- First Person Shooters (FPS): Leading this segment are titles such as CS:GO, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends.
- Sports-Themed Games: Mainstream games include FIFA, Rocket League, and Madden.
- Diverse Genres: This category spans a range of other game types, encompassing card games to real-time strategy games.
Among the most popular games are Dota 2, League of Legends, and CS:GOl. BetB2B’s data indicates a remarkable surge in active League of Legends bettors in the recent year. Additionally, the renewed interest for Age of Empires is palpable, likely driven by its latest successful release.
Esports events for 2023 and early 2024
While a significant portion of 2023’s Esports events has concluded, the horizon still holds intriguing tournaments set to captivate both cybersports enthusiasts and the Esport betting community.
- The International 12 is the largest Dota 2 tournament of the year. Dates: October 12-29, 2023. 20 teams will take part in the tournament.
- World Championship 2023 is the thirteenth in a series of final League of Legends tournaments of the year. Tournament start date: October 19, Suel, Korea
- The PUBG Global Championship, the grand finale of 2023 PUBG Esports, will be heading for Thailand. The tournament starts on November 1, 2023. Prize fund – $2 million
- Hearthstone tournament World Championship 2023. Prize pool $350,000. Starts on December 15, 2023.
- DreamHack Valencia 2023 – December edition
- Dreamhack Winter 2023
- The APAC Predator League 2024. Featuring the popular games VALORANT and Dota 2. Prize fund is US$400,000. The LAN Finals will take place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, on January 13-14, 2024.
- VALORANT Champions 2024
These events underscore the rapid evolution of the Esports domain and its promising outlook. For operators aiming to augment their Sportsbook, venturing into Esports betting could be a strategic move. BetB2B steps up to the plate, extending access to 250+ betting avenues, spanning over 60 Esports titles, matches, and a whopping 9,500 pre-match and live events.
Esports caters to a spectrum of player aspirations. With the burgeoning enthusiasm of the youth towards Esport, combined with their inclination to bet, this segment is swiftly cementing its position as an indispensable feature of contemporary web platforms and mobile apps. Its reach is expanding exponentially, powered primarily by the global fervor surrounding premier tournaments, marking it as one of the most profitable arenas worldwide.
BetB2B brings to the table a holistic suite: from a comprehensive sportsbook, multifaceted support, to intricate market analyses. BetB2B Esport game roster for betting boasts famed names such as Angry Birds, Call of Duty, CS:GO, and an assortment of card games – featuring Pokemon and Hearthstone, to name a few.Engaging with BetB2B ensures collaboration with a cadre of industry mavens, equipped to offer deep-seated insights, tailor-made solutions, and expert guidance – propelling you ahead in the competitive landscape.
