It is impossible to deny the fact that the eSports betting industry is exploding.
At the end of the last decade, eSports expanded into the mainstream. Once just a niche market, It is now a popular entertainment activity, and in some cases a full time profession around the world.. People are still buying tickets; however the sales are moving from the stadium and arena and to the internet. At one time, eSports could be described as a small piece of sporting culture, but now it has evolved into a complete industry of its own.
While different analysts have given different figures, they all are recognizing the recent explosive growth. And furthermore, they predict massive growth for most of the current decade. First, we break the numbers down and then let’s cover some of the reasons why this may be.
As of 2020, the global eSports Betting market was valued at 12.67 billion in 2020. The analysts in this same report project a growth of 13.1% per year between now and 2027, resulting in a market sized at $20.73 billion by then.
Why is eSports Betting Exploding So Fast?
There are a number of reasons this may be, and these relate to trends in society, economics and technology.
- The Social Media Age
In a way, eSports is the social media version of sports. So if betting on sports has been popular for ages, why not move into the 21st century? In fact, taking a closer look, eSports has been popular and active for decades; a social media age has helped to unite its participants together.
Per one account, eSports started with the first official video game competition at Stanford University in 1972. In 1980, Atari held the first video game championship, a Space Invaders tournament. In 1990 and 1994, Nintendo held world championships in California to promote its gaming consoles, the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo. By the late 1990s, some of the first eSports tournaments had been created.
Massive advancements in technology have transformed our world, bringing us together virtually one step at a time. Gaming and its competitive version, eSports, has naturally grown its user base alongside that.
The world wide web reached broad popularity and use around the world by 1995. Google started in 1998, Facebook in 2004 and Twitter in 2006. Apple released the first iPhone in 2007, and gaming legend Twitch popped into view in 2011. All of these simply created more roads for eSports to travel on. The organic fanbase was there all along, and is in the process of being brought to the figurative arena. We appear to still be in the beginning phases of this.
The youngest generation was born in a world where there were always smartphones and social media. Social gaming and eSports seems so natural.
- Remote Work / Remote Play
Even before COVID-19, the world has been trending more and more towards remote work for years. COVID-19 accelerated this trend years into the future. One study estimates that 22% of Americans will permanently be working from home by 2025.
Along with remote work comes remote play. It is no secret that streaming entertainment services and gaming exploded like never before in 2020. From Netflix to Disney and a dozen other companies, streaming television and movies took over their fields. Gaming and eSports continued to explode. And why not – thanks to technology this can all be done from the comfort and safety of your own home.
- The New Decentralized Social Economy
The worldwide economy is emerging with a new decentralized face.
Investing, trading and participating in markets was once reserved for only the wealthy and the upper middle class. Applications like Robinhood, and cryptocurrencies have given access and experience to financial markets; this is broadly reaching the lower middle and working class for the first time in history.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies grew 5X, 10X or even 100X or more since government stimulus checks were distributed in early 2020. This has attracted millions of new investors, traders and participants in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Another popular element of cryptocurrency is decentralization.
This social trend of decentralization gives millions hope and the idea that they can make it based on their own skill, no matter their existing situation. This naturally popularizes eSports which has grown with the same trend.
Capitalizing on Innovation
One player in the eSports world is capitalizing on these trends, as well as the technology of cryptocurrency to create a fun and rewarding gaming experience. OkLetsPlay, is an online eSports platform originally launched in 2017. Thousands of players have competed in private matches or multiplayer tournaments since its launch.
And now the platform is launching their own cryptocurrency. The OkLetsPlay (OKLP) token is a utility token with immediate utility on the gaming platform. It gives gamers on its platform immediate benefits. Those gamers can use the OKLP token to receive rewards such as in-app discounts, lower service fees and other benefits.
The OKLP token is minted on the Polygon blockchain. This means it has the benefits and utility of Ethereum, with the increased efficiency and security of Polygon.
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