It seems like only yesterday that bookmakers were taking bets on professional video gaming competitions, and now it seems as if eSports betting is all but dead. But is this really the case? And if so, why?
History of eSports
With the ever-growing popularity of eSports, bettors have been making wagers on games for years. But where did this passionate spectator sport come from? Here’s a look at the history of eSports, from its humble beginnings to its current prominence.
Ever since people have been able to gamble, they’ve been placing bets on matches and competitions. In ancient Greece, athletes would bet on who would win various athletic contests. This tradition carried over to medieval times, when kings and nobles would place bets on battles and jousts.
It wasn’t until the early 20th century that bet on eSports began to take off in earnest. In 1919, American bookmaker Charles E. Murphy opened the first legal gambling site in Las Vegas. He called it The Desert Inn and started accepting bets on horse racing and boxing matches. Soon other casinos followed suit, and online betting became widespread.
The growth of online gambling wouldn’t have been possible without the invention of the computer. In 1951, mathematician John McCarthy created the first computer program that could solve mathematical problems. This program was used to generate predictions for sports events, which gave bookmakers a better understanding of how likely each team was to win.
The Current State of eSports
The popularity of eSports continues to grow, with tournaments and leagues drawing in bigger and bigger crowds. What was once a niche interest is now a full-blown industry worth billions of dollars. But what happened to the humble bet?
In the early days of eSports, betting was an essential part of the experience. Fans could wager on their favorite teams to see who would come out on top, and sometimes even see matches completely overturned by large swings in betting odds.
But as eSports has grown more mainstream, regulated bodies have taken over many aspects of the industry. This has forced many traditional betting operators out of the market, leaving eSports fans largely deprived of their favorite pastime.
There are still a few venues where bets can be placed on eSports matches, but they’re becoming increasingly rare. Many bookmakers have dropped all forms of gambling coverage from their websites entirely, while others have introduced more tightly controlled systems that restrict wagers to certain regions or platforms.
This is likely to continue growing regulation within eSports, with organisations looking to protect their valuable intellectual property and revenue streams from being stolen by unscrupulous competitors. For now, bettors will have to content themselves with watching their favorite teams battle it out
Betting on eSports
What ever happened to betting on eSports? Like many other aspects of the gaming world, betting on eSports has become a highly specialized and regulated industry. That said, there are still ways to bet on eSports matches, even if you don’t have access to specialized gambling platforms. Here are some tips for betting on eSports:
-Understand the different types of bets available. There are three main types of bets you can make when watching or betting on eSports matches: match predictions, market predictions, and outright bets. Match predictions involve predicting which team will win a particular matchup. Market predictions involve predicting how the prices of items in a game will change over time. Outright bets involve wagering money on specific outcomes of an eSports match.
-Be aware of how much you’re risking. A lot of what you need to know about betting on eSports comes down to understanding how much risk you’re comfortable taking. For example, match predictions typically involve higher risks than market predictions or outright bets because they involve predicting which team will win a particular matchup. Conversely, market predictions tend to carry lower risks because they don’t involve predicting which team will win a specific matchup.
-Make sure you understand the terms
Conclusion
It seems like only yesterday that people were betting on eSports matches. Luckily, the trend appears to be slowly abating as more and more people realize how dangerous it can be to put money on something like this. In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile cases of professional gamers who have lost everything they had due to gambling debts. If you’re still interested in wagering on eSports matches, then make sure you do so responsibly and with caution.
