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Esports betting is a rapidly growing industry but still a fraction of its potential. In 2018, an estimated $12 billion was wagered on traditional sports betting in the United Kingdom alone with $4.8 billion in just the state of Nevada. In the case of esports, that number stood at just $315 globally in 2015.
Numerous research firms have since predicted a rapid growth in this market, anticipating total esports wagering to reach anywhere between $12.9 billion and $23.5 billion by 2020. This growth has been fuelled by a rapid rise in streaming platforms like Twitch.tv and YouTube Gaming as well as a focused effort by boutique betting shops to exclusively target the esports market. In total, 15 new “esportsbooks” have appeared in the last 24 months and with dozens of new platforms in production, it is likely that this number will soar in the years ahead.
There’s a good reason for all the attention that is now being diverted to the esports market. Traditional sports betting fans are ageing. Research from Nielsen shows the average age of an NFL fan to be 50 and MLB, 57. The same research showed that 7% of baseball viewers were under the age of 18 with a dismal 3% for golf. These numbers could not face a starker contrast than with esports, where 61% of the viewership are millennial with the average age of just 31. It is no surprise then, that we see traditional sports franchises like the NBA, Premier League and F1 all creating their own esports leagues to help ensure longevity.
Esports Affiliates
Affiliates have been a crucial channel for gambling brands since time immemorial and the same goes for the esports betting market. This shifting focus from the traditional to the nouveau has had its impact on the affiliate scene too. The number of esports affiliates appearing in this space has rapidly increased over the years, rising from just a handful of businesses when SickOdds first started out in 2016, to a slew of larger players now fighting for eyeballs. Even the largest of sports odds comparison sites will now list a section on esports.
As part of this changing focus, AffiliateCon has, this year, included a panel on esports – discussing the market and the bettors inside it. SickOdds founders Nick Pateman and Tom Wade will be sitting on the panel which takes place on May 15th at 11:30am.