How has the iGaming Industry Influenced Esports?

The esports industry has blown up over the last decade and is now valued at more than $1.72 billion in 2023. The booming sector is only going to get bigger and more influential in the years ahead, and people are likely to forget how it became such a behemoth. Certainly, it’s unlikely that anyone will credit the iGaming industry as having an impact on the growth of esports. However, there are many aspects of online casino games that have had a huge influence on esports.

A video about the rise of esports.

Live Playing Began With iGaming

Part of the reason why esports have become so popular over the last decade is because they offer a spectator experience for gamers. Gaming has always been a communal experience, but this faded slightly when consoles replaced arcades.

The internet brought it back, and the live streaming platform has been the greatest revelation for encouraging communal play and spectatorship in gaming. Online casinos were among the earliest pioneers of live streaming, and now live casino games like Funky Time and Crazy Time are some of the most popular titles on these sites. Players can select these games and come face to face with real-time action hosted by experienced casino dealers. There’s no doubt that real-time gaming experiences began with iGaming and were then adopted by the esports industry later.

Live casino helped raise awareness of the concept of live streaming, and this boosted the success of Twitch alongside it. The game streaming website was a revelation because this was one of the first places that gave game fans a chance to watch people play live games all in one place.

The platform was so popular that it was valued at just shy of $1 billion when Amazon purchased it in 2014. Twitch and online casinos both gave people the chance to enjoy live gaming experiences from the comfort of their own home, with a focus on immersive and interactive gameplay. Esports went on to embrace this concept of remote participation, enabling players to get involved with the games from their homes.

A core feature of the iGaming industry is that players can access sites from all over the world and enjoy shared experiences with players from other countries and cultures. This is something that is abundant in the esports sector as well. Much of the competitive gaming scene is made up of online tournaments that allow players from all over the globe to compete against one another without the need to be physically present. Along with having a chance to play in these events, they are also streamed on platforms like Twitch to people who simply want to spectate.

ESI London Highlights How Big Esports Industry Has Become

Along with the integration of advanced technologies when they emerge, there are various other similarities between iGaming and the esports sector. A prime example of this is the way that a booming betting industry has risen alongside competitive gaming. The main part of iGaming’s appeal is the fact that players can stake in the games and have a chance to win some money. The same thing is seen in esports, with viewers able to bet on the outcome of a competition.

A video about how esports blurs video gaming and pro sports.

As people have gradually taken the competitive gaming scene more seriously, major bookmakers that previously only specialized in traditional sports have begun to offer markets on various esports leagues and competitions. This has helped expand the audience for esports more as it gives a greater number of people an incentive to watch the games. There are now even dedicated esports betting platforms that enable people to stake on their favorite teams or players.

Huge esports events like ESI London highlight just how massive the industry has become and help to put it in the spotlight of brands in the betting industry as well. The gathering in the England capital is the world’s biggest esports and video games industry festival, and its influence is growing every year. It takes place in October 2023 and will feature more than 700 delegates. There will be over 25 brands in attendance as well, underlining how businesses are looking to capitalize on the growth of the sector. The world’s top brands have always stuck close to online casinos in sponsorship deals, and this is another similarity between the two industries.

Esports Mirrors iGaming’s Attempts to Attract Broad Audiences

One of the key facets of the iGaming industry has been its ability to attract a broad audience of players. It does this through variety, with themed slots being the most obvious way to appeal to different personalities. There are reel spinners based on countless genres, from ancient history to sports like fishing. It’s clear that the esports industry is also trying to attract as broad an audience as possible too.

A good example of this is how some of the top esports are putting more effort into appealing to female players. For example, there’s The Women’s Invitational, which is an all-women FIFA tournament that began in 2021. EA Sports is doing a lot to promote women’s games in esports, with bootcamps that are specifically designed to promote female participation. There’s now a great deal of interest in women-only esports and there are some lucrative competitions as well.

Aside from helping to promote the esports scene to both men and women, there are myriad games in the industry that attract different personality types. For instance, there are shooters, sports, and fantasy card games, meaning that there’s something for everyone. This is something that mirrors the iGaming market as well.

It's clear that the iGaming industry has had a huge influence on esports and will most likely continue to do so. Online casinos traditionally bring in new technologies first and will be a great testing ground for upcoming platforms like augmented and virtual reality. If these become popular, they will be adopted by the esports industry as well.