Esports Wagering: A Leader’s Perspective

## Esports Wagering: A Leader’s Perspective – iGB

Ian Smith, head of the Esports Integrity Commission, examines the present condition of esports wagering and the effect of COVID-19 on the industry. While confinement may have presented a good chance for the industry to expand, he cautions that there are also possible dangers involved.

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Esports Wagering: A Leader’s Perspective
Ian Smith, head of the Esports Integrity Commission, examines the present condition of esports wagering and the effect of COVID-19 on the industry. While confinement may have presented a good chance for the industry to expand, he cautions that there are also possible dangers involved.

As leader of the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), I have the honor of having a complete view of the connection between esports and esports wagering.

My viewpoint has changed significantly in the last few months due to the coronavirus pandemic. What was once a fairly stable and predictable scene has become unstable, constantly producing surprises. This is both a chance and a difficulty. I’m pleased to share my thoughts on this “State of the Union”…

Until February of this year, anyone involved in the intersection of esports and esports wagering would have seen a pleasing picture of healthy growth and increasing involvement.

The roster of competitors was rather anticipated: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Dota 2, and League of Legends (LoL) made up over 80% of the wagering market share and income.

This indicated that competition organizers (TOs) could forge “official data” agreements directly with data firms or betting operators to obtain real-time information and package it for sale to the betting industry (simpler for Valve’s games – CS:GO and Dota 2 – and more difficult for LoL, with lower data granularity). All other esports, including leagues run by “large” publishers – Overwatch League and Call of Duty League – had minimal influence.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

While a catastrophe of immense proportions, the pandemic was a perfect storm for esports and esports betting. No conventional sports to watch, but people yearning for competition? Esports was there. No sports, pubs, eateries, cinemas, clubs to go to? Gaming and esports were there. No face-to-face interaction? In-game chat was there. No traditional sports to wager on? Esports betting was there. Miss football? FIFA and PES were there. Miss Formula One? eFormulaE was there. Miss basketball? NBA2K was there.

I receive new discoveries daily informing me about the massive increase in esports players, viewers, bettors, and volume, but I don’t require these studies because I witness the evidence firsthand in my work, albeit from the darker side…

A title that previously slipped under my notice has become the subject of much discussion in the wagering market, the target of dubious betting alarms, and Twitch broadcasts. Competitions are emerging like wildfire, and prize funds are soaring. Sporting simulations have suddenly become a significant force in electronic sports, something that purists dismissed just recently. Leading non-conventional sports betting firms are reaching out to ESIC, eager to join our worldwide esports suspicious betting alert system.

The quantity of suspicious betting alerts has risen significantly, encompassing more games, squads, and markets than ever before. More and more reports are surfacing regarding attempts to contact and intimidate players, urging them to participate in match manipulation. Webinar invitations are flooding in… “Enlighten us on how to enter esports, esports wagering, esports sponsorship, esports investment…” I now dedicate 20 hours weekly to sharing my years of expertise – esports is the future.

So what is genuine and what is hype? What will endure after the epidemic, and what will fade away? Here are my personal forecasts, based on five years in this sector and 20 years in conventional sports governance and regulation, not ESIC’s official position on these matters. What is the condition of esports nations?

Predicting the next big thing in electronic sports is a bit like taking a chance – ultimately, it’s up to the gaming community, and rightfully so.

Numerous elements contribute to the triumph and endurance of certain games, but these elements are difficult to duplicate in novel games. Otherwise, they would appear as imitations, but even this strategy has been successful in League of Legends’ history, so who knows?

I am convinced that esports integrity requires further comprehension, focus, and funding. To safeguard the competitive environment from cheating, corruption, and gambling fraud, a more cooperative strategy is necessary than what publishers are currently exhibiting.

It is comforting that this is evolving. The world is directing its attention to esports, and with it comes affluence, and with that comes pressure. I eagerly anticipate witnessing who can rise to the occasion. In the interim, ESIC is dedicated to serving those stakeholders who take these challenges seriously.

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