The best betting sites have historically offered the possibility to profit from sports without even breaking a sweat. In recent times, however, the best online sportsbooks have made eSports available as well. Which means that the “athletes” can be just as slouchy as the spectators. Esports (aka electronic sports, e-sports, or eSports) is a form of competition that uses video games. Esports frequently takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions. In particular between individuals or teams of professional players. Even though organized competitions have long been associated with the video game culture, they were mostly limited to amateurs until the late 2000s. Participation by professional gamers and spectatorship via live streaming experienced a significant increase in popularity. By the 2010s, esports became an important factor in the video game industry. Many game developers started designing and providing funding for tournaments and other events.
Esports Tournaments and Best Games to Play
The video game genres most commonly associated with esports are multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), first-person shooters (FPS), fighting, card games, battle royales, and real-time strategy (RTS). Popular esport franchises include League of Legends, Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Counter-Strike, Overwatch, Super Smash Bros., and StarCraft. Competitions such as the League of Legends World Championship, Dota 2’s International, the fighting game-specific Evolution Championship Series (EVO) and Intel Extreme Masters are some of the most popular. Many other competitions employ a series of league play with sponsored teams, like the Overwatch League. Although the jury is still out on the legitimacy of esports as a true sporting event, they have been featured together with traditional sports in some multinational events in Asia. The International Olympic Committee has also discussed their inclusion into future Olympic events.
Audience of Esports
By the late 2010s, the total audience of esports was estimated to grow to 454 million viewers, with revenue increasing to over US$1 billion. The increasing availability of online streaming media platforms, especially YouTube and Twitch, has become instrumental to the growth and promotion of esports. Viewership is approximately 85% male and 15% female, with a majority of viewers between the ages of 18 and 34, but female gamers have also played professionally. The popularity and recognition of esports first occurred in Asia, specifically in China and South Korea. The latter has licensed professional players since 2000. Meanwhile, esports in Japan is relatively underdeveloped, which is partly due to its broad anti-gambling laws which prohibit paid professional gaming tournaments. Talk about an untapped market for the best betting sites. Outside of Asia, esports are popular in Europe and the Americas. Regional and international events take place in those regions.
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