Esports gambling revenue set to rise $14 billion this year

Given the almost complete absence of IRL sports, eSports has become the most popular betting options among gamblers around the world. According to the information of research companies 2CV and ProdegeMR, in 2020 the gambling market is expecting a double increase in profits from eSports betting.

2CV and ProdegeMR conducted a survey of 1,028 gamblers aged 18-64 looking at how the current situation, which has been impacted by COVID-19, is affecting betting in the UK and the main reason is that eSports could play a big role in becoming a new revenue driver for the sports betting industry.

This research revealed that 36% of gamblers made at least one eSports bet in the last three months, 30% made their first bet on eSports in the last month, and another 22% plan to start betting on tournaments in the next three months, with the most popular forms being football, motorsports and tennis. The remaining 12% of players said - they needed more information on how to bet on virtual games, and they were not yet ready to try a new discipline.

Researchers believe that the later IRL sports returns, the more difficult it will be for some bettors to switch back to it. Many gamblers will find suitable eSports disciplines for themselves and learn more about it, while the absence of regular sports in upcoming months may be unstable and may attract far fewer players back.