The esports industry has changed dramatically. Back in the days, it was as simple as hosting a party and playing games into the late hours of the night. But now, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry.
Currently, esports betting revenue is valued at over $8 billion worldwide and is set to reach $14 billion at the end of 2020 due to the pandemic which has had a profound impact on its popularity.
Esports betting started with Counter-Strike: Global-Offensive (CS:GO) in a way that was known as “skin gambling.”
According to Statista.com, CS:GO in June 2020 reached over 1 million gamers playing at the same time on Steam. Similarly, DOTA 2 hit its highest peak number, at almost 1.29 million concurrent players, in March 2016. The fact that the pandemic forced people to stay at home undoubtedly boosted its popularity.
Following this trend in gaming, there have been numerous CS:GO and DOTA 2 betting sites online in the past few years. Betting always follows money and this is no exception.
However, the big challenge most players face is finding the best betting site for their needs. We recommend reading this page, courtesy of OLBG.com sports betting community, as it provides actual real customer reviews to help you make up your mind.
Esports Betting Going Viral
Esports has survived without gambling for years, but its mainstream growth wouldn’t have been possible without gambling that funded much of the prize pools and the enormous stadia to house esports fans via sponsorships.
There are several betting sites around the internet that allow viewers to bet on their favorite esports competitions in the exact same way they will bet on traditional sports like soccer, baseball, basketball, NFL. People can easily book their bets online on popular games like CS:GO, DOTA 2, and other matches.
2020 Biggest Esports
Not all esports are created equally, they attract players and punters for different reasons and the prize pool reflects that.
CS:GO has given out over $8 million and has been the most viewed tournament this year. Counter Strike: Global Offensive has proven to be the biggest when we speak of prize money and viewership. Over a million people watched the IEM Katowice, which is recorded as one of the highest LAN events that was held before the COVID-19 outbreak.
DOTA 2 has awarded $5.7 million prizes, with an average of 700,000 concurrent players in 2020. Though CS:GO has been popular over the years, DOTA 2 has held the title of the all-time peak gamers playing at the same time. However, Counter Strike: Global Offensive is pushing to take over the crown.