E-sportsbetting

What is eSports?

In electronic sports, or eSports, different people or teams compete against each other with computer games. This can be done online, but also happens in stadiums or other large meeting places. The popularity of electronic sports has been growing tremendously in recent years. Both the professionalism and the number of viewers are increasing. There are international events that attract tens of thousands of visitors around the world. In the Netherlands, there is even an eDivisie for soccer, an eSports form of the Eredivisie. In it, players compete against each other with their own online soccer teams.E-Sports - The sport of the future?

eSports are popular. Some professional gamers have now even reached “superstar status. There is also money to be made with gaming. The largest international eSports event “The International” had a whopping $24.8 million in prize money to distribute in 2017. The “Dota2” tournament was won by a team from the Netherlands. They won $11 million. Gamers can also make money using ratings and ad revenue. They do this through YouTube or Twitch. The eSports world is an interesting market for companies to target advertising. In short, eSports are growing in popularity and opportunity.

 How many people participate in eSports?

Research firm Superdata counted more than 500 million viewers worldwide watching professional gaming matches in 2022. It is mostly 17- to 29-year-olds who watch eSports. This totals 86 percent of all Dutch viewers. Across all ages, it is mostly male viewers: 84 percent. Only 4 percent of eSports viewers are between the ages of 13 and 17.

 Gambling on eSports: what can go wrong?

The new opportunities to earn from games have also been discovered by betting shops. Several websites allow betting money on eSports matches. But many matches are unregulated. This means there is little oversight on whether it is fair. The lack of rules and proper monitoring can lead to unpleasant situations. This has happened many times in the past. As a result, you could be cheated if you gamble on an eSports match or player. In addition, online gambling - also on eSports - is still illegal in the Netherlands for the time being: so here you take extra risks of losing your money or getting fined.

• Matchfixing: This also occurs with eSports betting. It means that players lose on purpose. They miss opportunities or make mistakes on purpose. Throwing away the game is called “throwing games.”

•  Cheating: Because the stakes are sometimes high, players can also cheat. They do this, for example, by making hacks into the game or computer. Sometimes players use additional software, making it easier for them.

•  Doping: The eSports matches sometimes last a tremendously long time. To keep this up, players sometimes use drugs. Just like in regular sports, this is not allowed. Because of this, they actually cheat as well. After all, they can last much longer than their opponent. At major eSport events, there are even doping controls. Just like in cycling or soccer.

What is matched betting?

Matched betting is a strategy that allows a gambler to make money by taking advantage of welcome bonuses and offers from online gambling providers. Providers use these bonuses to entice you to sign up. Since gambling always benefits the provider, they normally earn back these bonuses easily.

 The strategy consists of someone betting on a certain result at the same match and betting on a different result at another provider. This way the bettor does not lose the money and the balance remains the same. But, since this one plays with bonus money from the provider, he keeps some money. After this bet, he gets paid out and a small amount of money is earned.

 Someone who engages in matched betting is actively looking for new providers and bonuses. Once you have done this once with a provider it cannot be done again. So it takes some commitment and time to be involved in this.