The rise of professional video gaming, known as eSports, in Asia is set to contribute to a massive boost to the income of the region over the next decade.
Triple its gaming revenue
According to analysts from financial services firm UBS, they believe that the gaming revenue will treble over the next 12 years leading up to 2030, and increase 9.5% annually. That would mean that a whopping $200bn would be generated thanks to the sport.
Analysts have even compared it to the boom caused by smartphone growth in 2016, which boosted the coffers across Asia.
Official sport
While not all countries recognize eSports, countries in Asia were among the first to acknowledge eGaming as an actual sport, which is now set to be included in the 2019 SEA Games. This official census has influenced the gaming culture and industry base across Asia and has created a solid foundation for additional revenue over the next few years.
With Asia a global gaming leader, (currently, 51% of eSports fans around the world live in Asia, making over 400m fans!) there is certainly more potential when it comes to revenue and the possibility of monetizing that user interest.
From advertising, sponsorship and in-house play, analysts are seeing a bright future for the world of eGaming. Indeed, Finland has just recognized its sporting volunteers as athletes, despite the fact that no body conditioning is required.
Monetizing the sport
So where will the money come from? The analysts say that right now operators and touts are rubbing their hands, from ticket sales to watch masters compete to the opportunities key figures can command through advertising and marketing. There is even the possibility of a game based on the experience of the key players.
Live streaming of events on Twitch, YouTube and even ESPN has also boosted the profile of eSports as more people discover the possibilities of eGaming. There are now even eGaming stadiums. Couple all this with the ability for sponsorship and we are talking big numbers.
Betting on eSports
Right now if you’re thinking about parting with your hard earned cash, there are four possible ways to place a bet on eSport games.
1) Moneyline – Like most bets, just choose your favorite team and if they win, so do you. There are odds to factor into this, though.
2) Handicap – This is where the sportsbook comes with an advantage or disadvantage to even out the playing field. Therefore predictions need to be bigger than usual to take this into account.
3) Proposition – Take your pick, from first kills to map winners or total kills you can bet whatever you fancy on whatever condition you like.
4) Totals – One for the stats geeks. Here you can bet on overall statistics such as total kills, rounds, or gaming tools collected.
Future possibilities
Right now, the experts say that Asia will command the big money stakes when it comes to eGaming, but actually it’s possible we will see a rise in the world over as it becomes more popular. And although Asia may well be at the peak, watch out for America and Europe picking up on the sport, especially with such an enticing rulebook.
eSports will only get stronger with its appearance at the 2019 SEA Games. If it has just a fraction of the focus given to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, then the only way is up when it comes to looking at revenue.
