Is There Money In Esports? What Competitive Video Gaming Is

Sports are no longer the traditional games that you know are being played competitively, and you get to watch famous and prestigious competitions. Now esports have risen to greater heights and popularity, expanding the definition of competitive sport beyond what people once thought it is. Now, the stereotypes that plague the video game industry--that video gaming is harmful to the education of children and harmful to the career of adults, and many more--are gone, as the video gaming industry proved to be more than just a hobby of playing games. Now, video games are played competitively, too, just like traditional sports. This is esports, and it is a growing and booming industry.

In the same way that you can bet on sports and you have the latest sports lines to help you make your best bet for that, the world of esports is also full of new opportunities both for players and spectators alike. To have a better understanding of what esports is, how big it has become, and how bigger it can be in the future, here is a comprehensive overview of it.

How esports began

The roots of esports as we know it can be traced back to 1972 when a championship tournament for the video game “Space Invaders” was held, making it the first event in gaming history to bring in gamers for competitive gameplay in a tournament format. The event had almost 10,000 participants involved.

Since then, leagues and tournaments for various video game titles have been held, with the 1998 “StarCraft 2” tournament being one of the most notable and historic, garnering almost 50 million viewers online. Also Dota 2 is considered one of the huge game to play and bet on.

During the early part of the 2000s, esports gained a stronger foothold as more leagues have been organized. Both the World Cyber Games and the Electronic Sports World Cup was held for the first time, followed by the Major League Gaming, which is still considered as one of the most prominent esports hosting body today.

How big is esports now

Right now, the entire esports industry is now almost a billion-dollar industry, and more and more titles are being played competitively every year. Now, games across different genres are being played as an esport--from massive online battle arenas to first-person shooters, to sports games, to fighting games, and even platforms.

Most famous esports tournaments, such as DotA 2’s The International, and the Fortnite World Cup, have had prize pools of more than $100 million already. To date, the largest prize money that a single-played won for any esports game was that of Fortnite player Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who bagged 3 million dollars after winning the most recent Fortnite tournament.

Can you make money out of esports?

Aside from being a professional player, there are other ways to make money out of esports and enjoy the lucrative industry of professional video gaming.

You can become a streamer

Now, there are countless streaming platforms and many monetization options for game streamers. From Twitch, YouTube, and even Facebook, many people have proven that you can make a living out of just playing video games and streaming them. It is not an easy feat to pull off, though as the market for streamers is slowly becoming saturated.

Bet on esports

In as much as sports betting has become a high-paying industry, esports betting is now also a thing, too. Now, more and more online sportsbooks are opening their doors to a wider range of betting options and allowing their punters to bet on professional video game tournaments, too.