If you were trying to find something to gamble on in 2020, there is a good chance that you turned to esports. Most traditional sports were cancelled or postponed during the lockdown. As a result, interest in esports skyrocketed. As it turns out, that is something not only sportsbooks, but also casinos, managed to cash in on. Let’s take an in-depth look at how the casino industry has been reaching out to the esports betting market.
How Offline Casinos Have Been Embracing the Esports Betting Market
While the 2020 lockdown contributed significantly to the convergence of esports betting and casino gambling, these two markets have been coming together for longer than that.
In fact, the overlap between the two worlds has been growing for years now. Consider the example of the Hyper X Esports Arena at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. This facility opened in 2018. The 30,000 square foot structure has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors over the past few years to watch or compete in hundreds of esports events.
Like many other facilities, the arena did shut down for part of 2020. But it reopened in June of that year. Putting social distancing rules into effect, the arena returned to hosting its popular events. These brought spectators, players, and gamblers in droves.
Another Las Vegas casino that led the way with respect to esports gambling is Caesars. In fact, that casino’s 48,000 square foot production studio opened even earlier than the HyperX facility, back in 2017. Even before that, the casino was hosting Gears of War tournaments and others.
As we move forward, we can expect Las Vegas and other key gambling destinations offline to continue to embrace the esports trend.
Research firm Eilers & Krejcik explains, “While the intersection of esports and gambling to date has been largely around online gambling, the future is likely to bring an increasing amount of crossover between esports and land-based casinos.”
Why Are Casinos Ideal for Esports Betting?
The report above explains some of the reasons land-based casinos and esports go well together. Casinos can run multi-day events with flexible formats, targeting consumers with cash to burn.
Esports betting also gives casinos a way to appeal to Millennial customers. Millennials are notorious for not taking an interest in slots and other games of pure chance that casinos traditionally rely on for revenue.
But Millennials do get into esports, and wagering successfully on esports requires skill. So, casinos can use esports betting as a way to get Millennials through the door and maintain their engagement levels.
Online Casinos and Sportsbooks Also Offer Esports Betting Action
We have talked about how offline casinos are integrating esports into their offerings. But we have not yet explored how online casinos and sportsbooks are taking advantage of this trend.
Naturally, it has been even easier for online gambling venues to incorporate esports. Unlike land-based casinos, online casinos do not have to invest in building massive facilities to host events. They need only add functionality to their websites.
Indeed, many gambling websites offer casino games, esports betting, and wagering on traditional sports.
By opening a single account and making a deposit, a customer can effortlessly dive into the action, wagering on blackjack one moment, and Dota 2 the next.
A Few Reasons Casino Gamblers Should Consider Betting on Esports (and Vice Versa)
If you are someone who usually wagers on esports, but has never played at a casino, why should you consider it? And if you are someone who has a lot of casino experience, but has never bet on esports, why start?
Here are some reasons to consider doing both:
- It has never been easier to try new forms of gambling. Now, whether you are playing offline or online, you can find everything you want at one venue.
- Esports betting involves skill, as do an increasing number of casino games. There are even skill-based slots now. So, if you want to use skill to make money while gambling, both of these activities should be rewarding for you.
- Online, you can use the same account to bet on esports or play casino games. After you make your initial deposit, you will be good to go with both.
- There is some overlap with respect to what it takes to be successful with casino games and esports betting. The money management and betting psychology skills you learn with one can cross over to the other.
How to Get Stated With Esports Gambling
Now you know more about the growing trend of esports betting showing up in the world of casinos. Both online and offline venues are making it easy for gamblers to wager on games like Dota 2, CS:GO, League of Legends, and others.
If you want to get started with gambling on esports, you can look for opportunities in your local area, or you can turn to online establishments. Unless you are in a city like Las Vegas or Macau, however, we are guessing you are not going to find a lot of esports betting in your area casinos. So, we recommend you try playing online.
All you need to do is open an account on a casino site that offers esports betting, make your first deposit, and claim your bonus. You will then be able to place bets on esports and also enjoy casino games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, slots and poker.