Both eSports and online casinos are enjoying great success of late, and many now feel the two will end up as natural partners when it comes to casino sponsors and sponsorship.
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The Rapid Growth of eSports- Casino Sponsors
Videogames (especially of a competitive nature) have never been more popular, but playing them for a living was a pipe dream until recently. Now it’s a credible reality as technology has finally reached the stage whereby it’s not only possible but increasingly easy to compete in multiplayer gaming online. Organic growth in eSports (not just the massive games like League of Legends, CS:GO, and Dota 2, but others too) has been strong for years and the black swan of the COVID-19 pandemic provided a huge surge in interest when traditional sporting calendars were almost all substantially disrupted.
The world of eSports, however, was minimally affected by the global pandemic and won many new fans in the difficult year of 2020. And that was not the high point, with Statista reporting 50% growth from then to 2021 when the value of the global eSports market broke through the $1bn barrier. That same year saw an audience of 474 million, which is large by any reckoning, and the numbers are only going up. There’s even talk about eSports potentially being entered in the Olympic Games.
Rising Success of Online Casinos- Casino Sponsors
The online betting world, both sports and casino games, has been on the rise for a long time and this has made it one of the biggest sectors for sports sponsors. The only downside for players is that having so many sites to choose from can make it tricky to find the right places to play or the best bonuses because the menu is so enormous. However, it need not be a chore to find the top Canadian online casinos. There are many Canadian casino platforms that offer top quality services and eSports betting odds. The finest Canadian online casinos come with generous bonuses for both newcomers and existing players (so there’s a reason not only to join but stick around), a broad range of excellent games, and convenient banking methods such as Interac.
Online Common Ground- Casino Sponsors
In much the same way as sporting disruption played into the hands of eSports, so too did the difficulties of real world casinos see more visitors at the online variety. Similarly, both eSports and online casinos do not suffer the same off-season or closed doors that restrict accessibility to sporting events and casinos in the real world. Add onto that the fact that many online casinos have sports betting sections and the area of overlap is pretty significant.
Streaming has been the foundation of eSports’ rise, and it is also a key string in the bow of online casinos, with live dealer games a very popular way to play online. Many also believe that VR will play a significant role in live games in the future, following its increasing use in gaming.
Sports Sponsorship
The betting markets for eSports have flourished in recent years as audiences have also risen, and while there are some big competitions (The International standing out, of course), eSports still has plenty of room to grow. This could make sponsorship deals very attractive, and this is where online casinos could step in.
Among sporting sponsors, online betting sites are one of the most proactive groups of firms. Between casinos and sportsbooks, pretty much every club in the English Premier League has a sponsorship deal with an online betting site. However, because eSports (while increasingly popular) is still nowhere near as big as the top soccer leagues of Europe, sponsorship deals can be achieved for less money from online casinos. From the perspective of eSports, this can still mean a substantial cash injection and higher remuneration for players (either directly through team sponsors or through bigger prizes from tournaments). While there are some millionaire eSports players these are still very much the minority, and more generous prizes would help make eSports a more viable career for more mid-level players. It still won’t be as steady as a career as a lawyer but it will be way more fun.
Regulation Changes and eSports Opportunities
Betting site shirt sponsors are set to be axed in the EPL in the near future, if rumors are to be believed, which could see funds freed up for online casinos to sponsor elsewhere. It may also be the case that some online casinos fear shirt sponsor bans are the first step in a full ban which would also leave a desire to sponsor that eSports could fulfil (for much less cost).
Regulation regarding online casinos and sportsbooks has been relaxed in Canada and the USA, and is very cautiously being liberalized in parts of Asia, but in the United Kingdom (traditionally very pro-betting) there has been some slight tightening. In North America, more competition among online casinos and some already significant partnerships, including pre-Super Bowl collaboration between eSports and gaming company FaZe Clan and National Football League (NFL), show increasing attention directed at eSports. In 2022, Amazon service Prime Gaming is set to be a partner of the VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA, and if more deals of this nature can be made it bodes very well for the future.
Online casinos have shown themselves keenly aware of the sponsorship potential in regular sports, so it would be no surprise at all if they take advantage of the opportunities from eSports.