The Desire For Esports Betting Is Increasing With Viewership Growth

• Sportsbooks all over the world are taking wagers on esports.
• More companies like Midnite are encouraging people to bet on esports.
• Getting esports ready to go in the United States could be a lengthy process.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Since the first legal esports bets were placed in November of 2019, more people are wanting to bet on esports.

The Current State Of Esports Betting

Right now, a majority of states with legal sports betting do not allow for esports wagering. There could be a multitude of reasons for this.

For example, there is no explicit governing body for esports. Although companies who make the games could make the rules for esports, they do not have as much power as entities like the NCAA or NBA. This means there are no overarching rules to maintain the integrity of the game.

There is also a problem with the overall perception of esports. Many older lawmakers can end up believing that it is only teenagers watching and playing esports. States have banned esports betting much as they did with high school betting. But companies like FanDuel disagree with that sentiment.

“The incredible enthusiasm and fandom in esports are undeniable when you look at viewership numbers,” said Mike Raffensperger, FanDuel’s chief marketing officer. “The perception among some people is that all esports fans are teenagers, but that’s not true. The average age of an esports fan is around 27-years-old.”

Pushing For Esports Betting

Because of the research they did, FanDuel offered esports betting for the first time last November. The FanDuel Sportsbook in New Jersey took bets on the League of Legends World Championship. This was the first time that a sportsbook in the United States took esports bets.

But that was not the first time esports bets were taken. Around the world, watching and betting on esports is becoming more popular. Projections show that esports is a billion dollar industry that will continue to grow.

That is why esports betting is becoming increasingly popular around the globe. Even though esports betting is not established in the United States yet, fantasy esports is available. Much like daily fantasy sports (DFS), fantasy esports is popular on sites like FanDuel.

It is going to take some time and change in attitude for esports betting to become established in the United States. Sports betting companies are mostly focused on getting sports betting running in newly legalized states. Once that happens, they can petition lawmakers to allow for esports betting to take place. It seems as though it is only a matter of time until that happens.

News tags: eSports | FanDuel | Midnite | Mike Raffensperger | NBA | NCAA | New Jersey