Will betting come more into eSports?
Playing games online isn’t a new phenomenon, but it took time and regulations to widely make gaming a thing across the internet. And even still, there are some kinda of games – that involve placing bets for example – that are still illegal in some states. That makes where you play your online games very important.
Play or try to host games online in the wrong state within the United States, and you could get yourself into a lot of issues. Enter Pennsylvania, who just legalized online betting in 2017, which led to the creation of many online websites dedicated to that practice. (Link). But not all online games face the same hurdles. Let’s explore.
Betting is a very tricky and important topic, so understandably there are many rules that govern the process. In most jurisdictions, you must be at least 19 years of age to gamble; after all, every time you place a bet on something, you could potentially be making a life altering decision – depending on the amount – and one you might really regret! The thought is older adults will understand the risks better than young teens, which is probably the truth.
The next step in online betting will involve the newly founded and celebrated esports. Esports have become quite popular over the last decade, with dedicated Starcraft leagues, Call of Duty leagues, and much more. As players compete for larger and larger prizes – getting up to half a million dollars, and more – it’s inevitable that online betting on these games is quickly going to follow.
While this could be really good for the industry, it will provide new challenges for the video game industry. How do they monitor this activity, who can participate, and how will it be regulated. As games continue to be marketed to a younger and younger audience, there are many challenges to promoting betting on specific games, most notably Fortnite.
Fortnite is a title that is being marketed to younger audiences and is one of the most successful titles right now on consoles. This would be the perfect platform for esports betting but has to be approached cautiously.
So how do companies do this? I’m not quite sure. But it is definitely coming soon, and there will be many challenges. How the industry deals with this will be incredibly exciting, and could be a real head turner in the entertainment industry!