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.