Esports Betting Sites Are Booming: What Top Industry Executives Are Saying

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Esports has risen from a passionate subculture to a global phenomenon that draws millions of fans throughout every inch of this global sport. Esports professionalisation and the excitement surrounding esports made it inevitable for online wagering to provide a similarly legitimised secondary market. The rapid growth of esports betting sites has caught the attention of both bettors and industry leaders alike. Established betting sites quickly adapt to the growing need, that sprouted from a new niche in the emergent esports’ digital landscape.

Esports betting shifted from a subculture to one of the fastest-growing sectors in online wagering. There is a myriad of reasons for this shift, including world events happening simultaneously to changing demographics, and esports in its nature is digital first. However, what do the individuals running esports believe will happen in the future? Let’s listen directly from the executives.

Pandemic as a Catalyst

When traditional sports came to a standstill during the global pandemic, esports betting surged. Its digital infrastructure and online-only format meant that tournaments and competitions could continue largely unaffected.

Quentin Martin, former CEO of Luckbox, noted: “Esports betting is lucky to be, if not pandemic-proof, certainly pandemic-resistant,” adding, “With the lockdowns, with traditional sports gone, we saw a massive spike.”

Paris Smith, CEO of Pinnacle, echoed the sentiment: “The shutdown of most major sports definitely thrust esports into the betting spotlight… While we hadn’t planned for this spike, we were very well set to deliver on it due to the years of investment and development into our esports product in the decade leading up to 2020.”

From Niche to Mainstream

What once seemed like a speculative venture has quickly become a priority for sportsbooks worldwide. Rahul Sood, founder of Unikrn, remarked: “Sportsbooks are building content around niche sports, like darts, at the minute, so yes, there is certainly new demand for esports. The world is changing.”

With betting volumes and viewership metrics skyrocketing, it didn’t take long for even traditional wagering companies to broaden their horizons. What was once a minor component has now become a centrepiece for larger platforms, and esports betting sites continue to innovate and bring new users into the sports betting lifestyle.

What Industry Leaders Are Saying

Executives across the betting industry agree—esports is not just a trend, it’s a long-term opportunity.

Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, stated: “We significantly expanded our eSports offering and have seen exponential growth in this category… In fact, since the return of the NHL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball, users have continued to engage with eSports, which gives us confidence in that product’s future… We believe eSports is going to be a huge category – it’s when not if… ultimately eSports betting will be, if not the biggest, certainly one of the biggest categories of sports betting over the long-term.”

Steven Salz, co-founder and CEO of Rivalry, offered a broader vision: “At Rivalry we are building the leading sports betting and sports media property for the next generation of bettors globally… Our ambition has always been to leverage esports as a pathway to the next generation of sports bettors and build a truly novel experience for them top to bottom.”

Jette Nygaard-Andersen, CEO of Entain, highlighted the company’s strategic investment: “Entain has built a powerful platform… One exciting opportunity is the growing esports skill-based wagering market. We are building the first scalable platform to address this market, and I am delighted that Justin Dellario is joining us to lead our growth in this new area.”

Why Esports Betting Is Here to Stay

There are various reasons to believe that esports betting is here to stay. The demographic driving the growth of esports betting, young, plugged in, and globally connected, is the future of online gambling.

Esports is a non-stop, 24/7, global attraction and is appealing to the bettor wanting to bet every minute of the day. In-game betting, cryptocurrency, and live-streaming technologies are changing the way we engage with betting sites, and esports give us a nice new market to lean into these new advancements.

Other key voices agree:

Scott Burton (FansUnite): “E-sports is a key component to any traditional sportsbook’s future betting offering.”
Grant Johnson (Esports Entertainment Group): “Latin America is a big esports betting market.”
Sergii Mishchenko & Dmytro Voshkarin (GG.BET): “Endemic bookmakers’ continued investment in the scene didn’t slow down.”
Ari Fox (Gameacon): “Esports is not going anywhere and we see a great opportunity for the gambling industry.”
Sergey Glamazda (CEO, Pari Entertainment): “My decision to lead the new esports company was a combination of many factors. But simply put, I am close to the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves.”

Conclusion

From the initial pandemic-era surge to sustainable long-term planning, the acceleration of esports betting is accelerating. Underpinning this growth is the support of industry leaders and changing technological landscapes, esports is set to become a major part of the global betting marketplace.

There has never been a better time to branch out into esports betting.

No matter if you are new to betting or a casual punter, now is the time to explore the options and opportunities available to you. Start visiting esports betting operators to see this evolving and fast-growing marketplace.