The influence of esports on online casino games and betting

The digital entertainment world has essentially become the most important sector of the entertainment industry. Online casinos are able to seriously compete with and even outperform traditional land-based casinos in regions where they’re both available, while online sportsbooks generate massive amounts of revenue thanks to the millions of sports fans who enjoy placing bets on games.

Esports have taken the hobby of playing video games and turned it into a spectator sport. Competitive esports tournaments have an international audience. Professional esports players can even qualify for military exemptions as elite athletes in some countries, including South Korea. Sponsoring esports teams has become big business and the promotional pull of the elite players is enormous.

Unsurprisingly, esports, online casinos and sports betting all have some overlap in terms of players, fans, technology and interests. As the most innovative and unique of the three, esports has the most impact and can set trends or change the direction of the industry.

This article will look at some of the ways that esports have influenced online casinos, online casino games and sports betting.

Esports betting

The most obvious way in which esports have influenced iGaming is that esports have become a popular betting activity. Betting on the outcome of major esports tournaments is now available on most sportsbooks, especially on those that are forward-thinking.

Esports betting was initially a minor market that was only available for the biggest international tournaments. As the popularity of competitive gaming grew and sites like Twitch made it the norm to watch others play video games, sportsbooks realized how much potential the market had to offer.

While the major tournaments will always attract the most bettors, just as in traditional sports, it is now possible to bet on all sorts of esports competitions. The most popular esports to bet on in general are League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, Call of Duty and Valorant. Betting on sports simulators like FIFA and NBA 2K is also popular.

Just like with traditional sports betting, you can bet on more than just who will win. The available bets are determined by the game being played. A bet on which player makes the first kill is a popular bet in CS:GO but would be completely inappropriate in FIFA!

Streaming

One of the most important impacts that esports have had is on the popularization of streaming play content. Watching top gamers play through a game in a speed run or compete against other great players is really fun. The success of platforms like Twitch shows just how much people enjoy watching streaming gaming content.

The surprising impact this has had on the online casino industry is that there are now online casino gaming streams as well. People can enjoy watching the ups and downs of someone’s gambling day without having to risk any of their own money. Some of these streaming channels are run by individuals who just love casino games, while others are run by the casinos and game developers as a way to show off their latest games.

Esports-inspired casino games

Slot games take inspiration from everything, from TV shows and popular bands to nature, mythology and animals. Developers have even started to make slots that are inspired by popular esports titles. Some of these games are loosely inspired by esports games, while others are officially licensed slot versions of the games.

Some of the most popular of these titles include Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare slot by Cryptologic, CounterPunch Pro (inspired by CS:GO) by Cyber Slot, and FIFA World Cup Placement by Dreamtech (based on both the actual league and the FIFA game franchise).

Reload offers

Anyone who has ever played an FPS game, like the esports favorites COD, CS:GO, Valorant and Rainbow Six Siege, knows how essential a smart reload strategy is. If you reload mid-magazine in some of the more realistic games, you’ll lose those bullets left in your clip. If you wait too long, you’ll be left fumbling and defenseless as you try to reload. Communicating with teammates to time reloads tactically can boost a team to great things.

Online casinos and sportsbooks have noted how reloading in the esports context is important and have found a way to apply it to their context. Instead of reloading ammunition, players at online casinos and sportsbooks reload their accounts with funds. It’s a clever way to reference deposits using familiar esports terminology.

Reload bonuses are a way of rewarding loyal players who keep coming back. Reload bonuses give players a percentage of their deposit back in the form of free credit. A typical reload bonus could give a player 20% of their deposit up to $500 as bonus credit.

Most reload bonuses are offered on a weekly basis. For example, Playzee Casino rewards Wednesday deposits with a reload bonus. These are smart bonuses for everyone – they give players free credit and encourage them to spend more regularly at the same casino.

Looking through the list of casino reload offers on AskGamblers gives an idea of how new and exciting these offers are. Only a few sites are offering them and it’s obvious that they are about to explode as a trend across the industry.

Since reload offers are one of the prime examples of how esports have influenced online casinos, we’re going to highlight some of the leading online casinos that are offering these bonuses.

Skol Casino

The games library at Skol Casino is what draws players in and keeps them entertained. They have an impressive 2,500+ games, including a great selection of live dealer games. The site is fully optimized for mobile and desktop devices.

Skol Casino are the leaders in reload bonuses. They currently have two reload promotions available – one on weekends and a smaller one on Tuesdays. On weekends, deposits are matched at 50% up to £50. On Tuesdays, deposits are matched at 20% up to £25. There is a 35x wagering requirement for both bonuses.

Playzee Casino

Playzee Casino was launched in 2018 and even though the name sounds a bit silly, they take online gambling very seriously. Their games library has over 1,000 games, with a focus on slots. They don’t ignore table games, though, and have plenty of options for both traditional table games and live dealer games.

The reload bonus at Playzee Casino rewards existing players who deposit at least £20. When you deposit at least £20 on a Wednesday, you’ll receive a 20% deposit match up to £500. The wagering requirement is 35x.

LuckLand Casino

If you enjoy a fun retro vibe, LuckLand Casino might be the right place for you. They are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. Their library is filled with top quality slots and table games from top providers, including NetEnt, Evolution Gaming and Nextgen Gaming.

LuckLand Casino has a Lucky Tuesday promotion. With this reload bonus, players automatically receive 20 free spins when they make a deposit on a Tuesday. That deposit is also matched on an increasing scale. A £20 deposit receives 25% matched bonus credit while a £50 deposit receives 60% matched bonus credit. The wagering requirement is 35x and the spins are valid for 24 hours.